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Posted By Stephen W
Our office's hot water boiler has just failed and we have no hot water (cold water is available and antibacterial soap is provided). Office activities do not necessitate the need for showers and we have addressed the issue of the restaurant. There are no alternative welfare facilities nearby. A number of employees have raised a concern.
The issue is hot water for cleaning of hands (e.g. after toilet use). What is the legal position? My reading of the legislation is that it specifically requires that hot water be provided - although the ACOP does, I believe, provide a "get out" covering failure of equipment if it provides no danger.
The boiler will be up and working by Monday.
Has anyone else had a similar situation? What is your view on the situation re compliance?
Thanks
Stephen W
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Posted By ccbailey
Boil a kettle
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Posted By Ron Hunter
I seem to recall that the term used in the UK Welfare Regs is "warm" water. Now there's a nice subjective term!
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Posted By Rob Campbell
one concern you might have (though i'm not sure considering it's only a temporary measure)...
Hot water should be over 60 degrees C to remove the risk of Legionella.
Though i'm sure this becomes more important dependant on the environment you're in.
Just a heads up!
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Posted By graeme12345
If you have reported it and there is a contractor to fix the problem in a reasonable time your employees will have to except washing hands in "cold water", nobody will take you to task if you have the above in place.
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Posted By Chris Packham
Water for hand washing should not exceed 40 deg. C, as anything above this temperature damages the protective layer (lammellar layer) of the stratum corneum and it can take the skin several hours to recover. The ideal temperature is actually 32 deg C. In fact, washing in cold water is dermatologically preferable to washing in hot! Ideally, therefore, what is needed is a pre-set thermostatic mixer tap.
The concept that hot water is needed to ensure that bacteria are dealt with when hand washing is erroneous, since the temperature needed to kill the bacteria would have to be far too high to be tolerable on the skin - and the contact time would have to be prolonged.
Equally, the need for an antibacterial cleansers is highly questionable. Almost all of these require a contact time between skin and cleanser of at least one minute. Just try putting your hands together and rubbing them as if washing and continue this for one minute and you will see the absurdity of it. This is why within the NHS the move has generally been away from antibacterial cleansers towards plain mild liquid soap. Furthermore, all antibacterial actives are irritant and almost all are sensitisers. The BMA investigated this and could find no benefit in antibacterial cleansers.
Yes, the regulations do require hot and cold water, but they do not state what temperature the water actually used for washing needs to be.
Chris
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Posted By Lilian McCartney
Hi Stephen,
I would say that you'll be okay just haivng cold water til boiler fixed by Monday for that environment
Lilian
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Posted By Philip Beale
Poor boss. he's made every effort to get it repaired as soon as possible, give him a chance
Phil
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Posted By MT
Re compliance, you will be fine. Any enforcement officer who happened to drop by would be quite happy that hot water is not a necessity in your working environment and also that appropriate arrangements are in place for repair.
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