Can anyone help? I have a site in a domestic property that is having some strip out and redecoration. I have asked the contract manager to ensure that he has hot or warm running water in the property to provide operatives with suitable cleaning facilities. After eventually convincing him that plasterers cannot was themselves up in a bit of cold water and soap and that this is a legal requirement he informed me that he would put an urn in the property. After several discussions about burns and it is not really running water he provided me with an example of what he wants to put in the property. It looks like, and is, an urn with a temperature control. Personally I would like a Sadia heater, or similar. I have looked through the guidance and cannot find anything that specifically says this would not be an acceptable source of hot / warm water for operatives to clean up in. Please can someone let me know if I am wrong and being stubborn. Thanks

Refer to :-
http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/cis59.pdf

Surely it would depend on many things eg how many people, how long are they there, etc. Also the HSE Guidance includes the caveat "SFARP" - so it all comes to down to judgement. Some times good management of H&S means saying "No, sorry". We can't always offer "Rolls Royce" solutions when a "Ford" would do. IMHO.

This is not a transient construction site, therefore aminimum level of welfare facilities is "essential" despite qualified by SFAIRP.

http://www.hse.gov.uk/co...ction/faq-welfare.htm#q1

Refer to last years Safer sites targeted inspection initiative:-

http://www.hse.gov.uk/co...gns/safersites/index.htm

It includes:-
What inspectors look for

During inspections, HSE inspectors will consider whether:
risks to health from exposure to dust such as silica are being controlled

workers are aware of where they may find asbestos, and what to do if they find it

other health risks, such as exposure to noise and vibration, manual handling, hazardous substances are being properly managed
jobs that involve working at height have been identified and properly planned to ensure that appropriate precautions, such as proper support of structures, are in place

equipment is correctly installed / assembled, inspected and maintained and used properly

sites are well organised, to avoid trips and falls, walkways and stairs are free from obstructions and welfare facilities are adequate

1. Empty urn
2. Refil with water
3. Get said manager's hands dirty
4. Take said manager to urn, now ask them where the "running" hot or warm water is - as you now have an Urn full of cold water that needs 20 minutes to warm up.

The faff of filling up an urn, forgetting to turn it off, topping it up, getting burnt by too hot water....when you can fit very good wash hand basins to vehicles.

I find it so frustrating that in 2015 we are still having this conversation and contractors are still trying to save a couple of hundreds of pounds at the expense of their operatives.

They all know what they have to provide with regards to welfare (and have done for a umber of years) and know of the potential repercussions of not providing adequate facilities (fines, notices, FFI, etc) yet they still don't bother.

I've just come from a consultancy role, to working full time within a SME Construction firm, and I have this battle everyday about every job.