Provided staff have access to hot water there is no requirement for each office to have its own kettle. Two issues to consider: How far would hot drinks have to be carried from the source with possible spillages causing slip hazards, but more importantly, the addition of (potentially) numerous kettles could add significantly to the electrical loading of the building. Alan

Hot water boilers are also preferable from a productivity view point..... Time spent standing next to kettle is much better spent standing next to a printer! ;-)

And as to your question - a proliferation of kettles in every office is certainly not a good idea, but if this has become an accepted practice you'll have a bit of a fight on your hands. If there is indeed acces on the ground floor and a small kitchen on the first floor with suitable facilities then management would have every justification in making the change. That said, sometimes it's the manager who is least likely to give up his own kettle...........

You have somewhere for them to make a drink. That's all you need do. Don't forget the risk assessment in case they scold themselves and then blame you for not putting on the boiler that it contained boiling water although they were using it to make a hot drink. Also the risk assessment in case they carry them or have a procedure were they drink them down stairs or Just allowthe breaks entitlement as laid out under the Working time Directive. The procedure for cleaning the floor in case you allow them to carry it up stairs and the risk assessment for this task and don't forget the COSHH assessment in case they put cleaning fluids in the mop bucket you will also require a notice on the hot water tap they are using to fill the mop bucket in case they scold themselves.The training records for walking up and down stairs will also need to be updated, ensuring that you have informed them to use the handrail. Ensure the SSOW is up to date and that you have the tool box talk completed each month and that you have arrangements in place to have the talk with any employees not in on the day. Don't have a kettle it might need PAT testing or someone might get tangled in the wire and scold themselves. Hope this helps a little as at some point someone will complain and you will be asked for all paper work.

C'mon John, just a few characters on from your quote, Steve references "(232)". What's that if it isn't the ACoP? I might have to suggest Invictus scold you (could be painful!).

Is it really any wonder that the profession is seen as a laughing stock. Remember to wear a bump cap in case you leave the top cupboard door open and bump your head when standing up after looking in the bottom cupboard for the safety gloves before pouring the hot water into your cup.

I knew Ron was Jesting, but tell me it is Friday or were going backwards, there's another post about the respect of the profession, the posts on this page show why no-one has respect for what we do. I would have replied earlier but I got hit by a leaf while I was out of the office and neede to lie down, no risk assessment, no SSOW, no method statement and no barriers around the tree it was reasonbly foreseeable that it could happen so I am putting in a claim.

I confess I'm not entirely sure what you're railing against here Invictus. I know "kettles in offices" isn't exactly 'sharp-end' stuff compared to oil or gas extraction etc. Nevertheless this can present problems for some, and a serious scalding injury is not a trivial matter, nor is striking your face off the edge of a desk having tripped over a trailing cable. If I were to walk into a typical Manager's office, I wouldn't expect to encounter a trailing kettle flex on the floor just past the threshold- but I have done! Why was it there? (quote) "That's where the socket is".......

The only embarrassment in here I'm afraid is those people railing against things that haven't even been said in the thread. The original question was about what provision needed to be made and no-one even mentioned risk assessments until Invictus' little rant. And no I wouldn't do a risk assessment for any of this stuff, but yes I would (and have) advised that tatty, unhygienic and frankly unsafe kettles be replaced with a hot water boiler. Sorry if that's a bit dull for some of you. I don't do aircraft system safety.

I'm sorry, you're right pet. I 'hooked into a later posting instead of reading the original. Don't you think some of these postings are quite analogous to accident investigations where you look at the original factors and, by a process of degradation and misunderstanding, end up with a totally unplanned for outcome/posting? They certainly make interesting studies of human interaction.

Oh dear! In fairness the REGS do not mention drinking at all - so you're not going bonkers Steve. I thought the generality of the question was answered both succinctly and unambiguously by Ron at #5 by quoting from para 232 of the ACoP, and also answered by others fairly early on. Job done! I for one aren't quite sure what the WTR have really got to do with it! And yes I know WTR deals with, amongst other things; breaks. Now, seems to me that instead of trying to reduce the number of regs etc and the burden to industry, that we should now concentrate our collective efforts on getting those tea making regs reinstated!

I think the others have answered your question regarding the regs & ACOP, but on a more practical point. You say 150 employees, one main kitchen ground floor and one satellite kitchen on the first floor. So at break / lunch time 75 people trying to use each kitchen ( or 100 in one and 50 in the other, whatever your set up dictates) – could become cosy. You may also find you then have requests for longer breaks due to the lost time waiting etc. Just a thought, and suggest you make sure you think about your set up with this in mind. Please don’t think I’m suggesting you keep all the kettles, as I’m not. The company I worked for had this issues a few years ago and it was so much fun, but we got there in the end. In fact I think eventually, the employees preferred it. It provided a chance to stretch legs, a few minutes of banter with others to clear the mind and it allowed groups to mix who would not have done so otherwise. PS I know it’s not Friday, but I’m struggling to resist asking Invictus if the leaf that fell on him was a tea Leaf – Sorry in advance and no offence meant)

Invictus, it is no wonder that you might be ridiculed here, why are you going round in circles with this Steve's #1 post was correct, and I explained it again to you yesterday, the welfare regulation does NOT mention hot drinks. You are confusing the reg with the L24 ACoP. L24 quotes the reg text in italics, and then goes on with paragraphs e.g. para 232 which is guidance/interpretation to assist one in ways in which one CAN comply; that guidance is NOT mandatory.

I do not feel ridiculed in the slightest I was merely responding to the statement at the bottom of the last post, I am not going around in circles is your opinion the only one that counts. An ACOP whilst not techinically mandatory, you still have to prove that you have met the requirements in the regulations in accordance with the ACOP or have met it in some other way. But as you appear to think that once you have had your say that is the end of the matter I will at this point rest.

Should have read 'not humorous in anyway'

The whole of my post regarding being ridiculed was tongue in cheek I thought it would be quite obvious that the rant was also tongue in cheek and in response to the statements that often appear on here about risk assessments, SSOW etc. I continually find myself defending our professin when asked well why can't kids play conkers, why do you feel the need to tell us how to make tea, walk up and down stairs etc. I am a trainer like most on here and for that reason I believe I have to convince people to believe in what we do, I have to convince the whole of the workforce to believe in what we are doing but I am constantly asked the above questions which makes it all seem pointless. I believe that all are entitled to opinions. The thing that gets me is that a lot of people will state that ACOP's are only guidence and not mandatory, but do not go on to state that you need to show that you met the requirements of the regulations through the ACOP or match it in some other way should the need ever arise.