Rank: New forum user 
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A few of our employees are pushing to have drinks on the shop floor at the Company I work. It is a fabrication workshop so has welding dust and other chemicals on the shop floor. It is obviously not a good idea to drink on a 'dirty' shop floor, but is there any actual legislation that prevents drinking on ‘dirty’ shop floors or is it only individual Company policies that prevent it?
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Rank: Super forum user 
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What do your CoSHH assessments say?
Don't forget if you do restrict drinks you will need to make suitable arrangements: this might be justified via heat stress risk assessment etc?
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Do I need to provide drinking water?
Yes. The law requires that you provide drinking water and ensure that:
_ it is free from contamination and is preferably from the public water supply
_ bottled water dispensers are acceptable as a secondary supply;
_ it is easily accessible by all employees;
Welfare at work - Guidance for employers on welfare provisions
_ there are adequate supplies taking into consideration the temperature of the
working environment and types of work activity;
_ cups or a drinking fountain are provided.
Drinking water does not have to be marked unless there is a significant risk of
people drinking non-drinking water.
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Rank: Super forum user 
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When I have done COSHH assessments, I have always stated, and enforced "no eating or drinking is allowed in the workplace".
By all means provide water, drinks etc IN YOUR WELFARE FACTLITY eg canteen etc.
IMHO it does not have to be on the shop floor. If they have to walk to use the toilets, why not walk to have a drink?
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Rank: Forum user
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Pikeman wrote:When I have done COSHH assessments, I have always stated, and enforced "no eating or drinking is allowed in the workplace".
By all means provide water, drinks etc IN YOUR WELFARE FACTLITY eg canteen etc.
IMHO it does not have to be on the shop floor. If they have to walk to use the toilets, why not walk to have a drink? Do you sit at a desk? Are you permitted a drink on your desk? How far do you ave to walk to make a cuppa?
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Rank: New forum user
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Just went through some of the COSHH assessments and a lot of them state with slight variations - eating, drinking and smoking should be prohibited in areas where this material is handled, stored and processed. So a simple answer! Thanks.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Since I don't have any chemicals at my desk, drinking and eating is not banned. If I did, it would be. The logic is simple. Potential exposure to substances - no eating and drinking.
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Rank: Forum user
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Pikeman wrote:Since I don't have any chemicals at my desk, drinking and eating is not banned. If I did, it would be. The logic is simple. Potential exposure to substances - no eating and drinking. Personally I would consider eating and drinking to be different to providing drinking water. Sports cap bottles mean that hands don't need to touch the anywhere where the mouth does. I think you missed my point anyway, you stated if they have to walk for a loo break they can walk for a drink. That's a hell of a way to treat your workers, not really respectful is it? Nor is refereeing to them as "They". I guess its an organisational culture difference, hey ho, I know how i'd rather be treated.
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Rank: Super forum user
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As someone said it’s down to your risk assessment- what is the actual risk from drinking on the job, taking into account the process that they are working on, what materials they are using (are they toxic or ‘just’ harmful) is the effect to health acute so you need one big hit to cause you any harm or are we talking about an accumulative risk (eg lead or other heavy metals). What are they drinking from, a cup, or a sports bottle?
Does the process produce a deposit that can get everywhere (including the nozzle of the sports bottle) or does the stuff stay where it falls?
How clean are they guys hands after doing the process- do they need to wash them before taking a drink?
As you can see the assessment has to be thorough if you an to be sure.
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Is it a warm environment? Beware dehydration.
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