We have a number of service engineers who attend remote sites on a 24/7 basis.
We can be on site for more than 4 hours.
Some sites are manned in the daytime and therefore we have access to their toilet and washing facilities.
What are our obligations as regards welfare facilities where they are not available?
The site which has become an issue is a large site and therefore we spend more time there than other smaller sites, however if we supply facilities here will we be setting a precedence for smaller sites?
Also, what are our client's obligations to supply welfare facilities?
Regards
Mike

Generators!

I'm also having similar problems with this issue. We have staff who carry out repair and replacement works in domestic premises. We have no problems when facilities are in place, but when they aren't in place the current policy is to give the workers time to get to a "public" toilet.

Having looked through CDM and Workplace Regs & guidance, im struggling to find something that gives more info.

Would also appreciate links to anything someone has previously used.

Looks like this is a common problem.
We are not under CDM nut Welfare Regs still apply.
This is ok for permanent sites but the poor old mobile workers tend to be overlooked.
We all know what should be provided but when it comes to the practicalities that is another thing.
Toilets: can we use the local (24 hour) supermarket, What if its over 10 minutes away.
Washing facilities: can we use hand wipes? I read a 'railways guidance that says - No!
Rest facilities : in the van?
Facilities for food: local supermarket?
Drinking water: bottled water??
I would welcome any practical alternatives.
We have 200+ sites and its not practical to install and maintain welfare facilities on each one.

HSE have been quite insistent on provision of hot water in works vehicles -reasonable practicabilty argument - for construction, grounds maintenance, waste and recycling etc.

You will have to consider their driving time as well under the domestic driving hours, they can only work and drive a max of 10 hours a day

It's nine hours, it can be up to ten hours twice a week if they drive LGV vehicles then they come under the drivers hours, Van drivers 3500KG and under come under domestic driving regulations

Try googling 'tealwash' to see how washing facilities can be incorporated into vans.

However, I would wish to see a risk assessment to establish if hand washing is really necessary. If they are working on generators the provision of suitable gloves might be sufficient to keep hands adequately clean and eliminate the need for hand washing. I keep single-use nitrile gloves in my car and, having changed a wheel recently, had no need to wash hands. In many cases simple wipes would probably suffice.

Chris

I would not recommend the 'rubberised' fabric gloves for protection against liquid chemicals. When the coating is applied there is always a risk that fibres from the fabric will stretch up into the coating. The result is that the pathway for permeation breakthrough can be extremely short, resulting in the chemical starting to saturate the fibre material. This can result in skin exposure within a very short time. In any event, 'rubber', in the form of natural rubber latex is not suitable for use with most of the chemicals that mechanics will be using. Nitrile performs well with some, but not with all. For example, permeation breakthrough time with petrol will be extremely short, with some very thin (0.1mm) single-use nitrile gloves I have measured this in about 20 seconds.

In any even, gloves used with liquid chemicals that represent a skin hazard should always be category III. Most of the thin, single-use nitrile gloves will be category I and thus not really suitable. Look for the appropriate symbol on the glove.

Chris

John

To some extent it depends upon which nitrile gloves you are wearing. Some have a textured surface that provides better grip that the cheaper versions.

However, going back to the original posting, the main concern in providing gloves would be to prevent physical soiling of the skin necessitating some form of hand washing. For this purpose almost any glove that prevents the dirt getting to the skin will do.

Protection against chemical hazards is a different matter requiring a more in-depth understanding of how gloves work and fail.

Chris