A construction site visited by an unannounced HSE Inspector - first wants to see the welfare facilities. In the toilets asks where the workforce wash their hands; in the sink provided. Fine said the female inspector.

In the rest room asks what the sink is for - washing hands after coming off site answered the site manger.

Next where do the workforce wash their utensils after eating - in the same sink. Not right said the Inspector provide a separate sink.

Now said the inspector where would someone wash their salad stuff before eating. No sink - provide another one.

So this welfare facility had 4 sinks. To recap:

One for the toilets
One to wash hands in the rest room
One to wash utensils in the rest room
One to wash salad etc in the rest room

You think I'm joking? Definitely not. (O, and practically all sites (loads) I have visited or worked on have only ever had two sinks (one in the toilet and one in the rest room).


Comments please particularly if you consider this to be OTT and/or just jobsworth and what if anything would your response have been. I'm also sure HSE Inspectors must read this forum so comments from them would also be appreciated (if they dare to identify themselves)

Rich

Me thinks she is being a wee bit OTT. She is correct in stating that separate sinks are required for preparing food and washing up.
The toilet sink must be large enough to wash hands and elbows.
In all my days on sites I have only ever seen a couple of sinks in the wc room and two sinks in the canteen room--separate units.

Maybe worthwhile checking on the HSE website regarding Welfare facilities on site and even check the CDM regs.

Hope this helps
Ally

Rich please keep us informed and what have you done about her demands? Was she acceptable to a discussion?

Chris - the outcome was that the site manager bowed to the inevitable after the Inspector refused to relent. And no she did not even mention separate toilets for males and females and indeed she didn't even bother to inspect the rest of the site.

The extra sinks were installed and she came back to check.

Rich

I take your point Frank but what if its a small site, small number os workers, with only one toilet? Once a female is present surely a secong loo is required.

General comment on welfare:

Why is it OK [generally] for CDM, agriculture & similar to have poor to very poor welfare facilities yet office staff [generally], even in the same companies [and sometimes on the same job!], have good welfare facilities

It took many years of hard work to get to a good general standard in the UK but we are now dropping back and losing all that we have accomplished. Additionally many many companies throughout the UK have been prosecuted for not having adequate sinks so food etc can be enjoyed properly so why should it be so different on a CDM site?

My comments have been made via my own experience where I have worked on site in many countries [abet the last time ~15 years ago in Europe] and in my experience it was always the English in particular who had the poorest welfare facilities for their staff. Hence I and many others worked for the Dutch etc as against the English on the same jobs!

Good facilities can be had on all [I include very small jobs] sites - Its all down to the site manager in one hand; as if they insist on cleanliness it will be clean, as I have done on my jobs, and on the other hand its down to the negotiations pre work between the client & contractor noting that in many cases the client pays for good welfare only to find that the subbie does not provide it!

We should all be fighting for good welfare facilities at all times as even on a small job you can be clean!

As for the HSE; well enough said!

One washbasin in toilet for washing hands after using toilet
One sink in rest room for cleaning utensils and preparing food
Separate washbasin in rest room for hand washing for those working with food.

Water should be lukewarm for hand washing. Proper provision for hand drying is also needed.

Separate washbasin for salad is not needed and will not be found in most commercial kitchens.

More importantly - how are you going to ensure that those using the toilet do actually also use the washbasin?

Chris

I would have refused the HSE inspectors request and ask for documented evidence that 4 separate sinks are required for a rest facility.

A commercial kitchen or a canteen serving prepared food would be a different kettle of fish to a bothy on a building site.

In reference to Bobs point, I have seen many offices with much worse welfare facilities than that of a building site including HSE offices.
The vast majority of small offices and retail premises I visit are lucky to have a dedicated staff rest room never mind 4 separate use sinks.

One of the problems was IMHO the HSE I was told one of the sinks in the rest area was for washing hands.

I will be setting up a welfare cabin next week and will ensure two sinks in the rest cabin and one in the toilet cabin.

I will place notices at each sink as follows:

This sink for hand washing (toilet cabin)
This sink for dish washing only (rest area)
This sink for food preparation only (rest area)

Another in the rest area - No hand washing here do that in the toilet cabin).

Maybe another in the toilet cabin - Wash hands etc. as no hand wash in rest area.

Not expensive or too much extra work and should make the point.

Comments appreciated.

I was wondering how this kind of inspection and pressure on management to provide salad washing facilities is of any help in improving the safety culture shift between workforce and management.

I too worked on construction sites for many years and am happy that facilities are improving.

However what I find surprising is that a HSE inspector visits a construction site and only inspects the washing facilities?

Surely any inspector should also look at the whole site? It seems to me that she could of and probably did miss something far more important then providing a sink for washing salad!

No wonder the HSE is losing respect among H&S professionals.

Agreed Kev. I've also had issues with unfortunate choice of words to employee groups during these interventions.

Or it could be that HSE are starting a blitz on welfare on construction sites. They do that without warning.

That document has two tables for toilet numbers, the table for mixed use (or women only) starts at 1-5 people 1 toilet, 6-25 2 toilets etc.

Table 2 (men only) starts at 1-15 1 toilet, 16-30 2 toilets and 1 urinal etc.

You see there is a need for more than one toilet with women on site, and you will usually get 6 or more on site.

Funny how table one shows number of toilets and washbasins where table 2 shows number of toilets and urinals. (not wash basins). What are we to gather from that I wonder?