Can someone please give me some good reasons (with supportive evidence) why there should be a seperate sink for washing tea cups etc? or if this has already been dicussed before then let me knpw.

Regards

Manny

Do the taps supply "Drinking" water or other?

Agree with Chris, but what I wanted to establish was the size of the company, it might be one of these small units where a and hand basin is all they have.


Badger

Ross

I came across a similar situation when staff complained to me the one set of loos were smelling terribly. I could not communicate directly with the African cleaner as he spoke absolutely no English, so I contacted his supervisor who spoke to him on the phone.

However, the situation over the next few days got worse - despite an e-mail from me to our contractors complaining. It was a hot summer, so at least we could open the windows, but it was bad. Drainage people came and went saying there wasn't an issue.

Then one of my guys burst into the office a very unhappy chappy. He had visited the toilet to find our cleaner wetting his floor mop directly from the toilet pan. The cleaner was - as far as he could see- cleaning to loo pan and floor simultaneously.

He didn't come back the next day. An example of the need for proper staff training if there ever was one!!

A bit more detailed info on the situation:

A work location has a toilet area with two small hand wash basins. These sinks are generally used for hand washing after using the toilet (although they aren't used by everyone!). There is no seperate kitchen area and therefore workers fill their kettles and wash their cups in the same sink. I don't particularly think it is very hygienic and therefore would like to know if there is any legislation, or guideline etc., which states that a seperate sink must be provided for cleaning drinking vessels etc.

Manny

I think you have to take a sense of what is reasonable.

Of course it's desirable to have a seperate sink but the reality is that in workplaces up and down the land people don't have access to those seperate facilites.If there are no alternatives then there are no alternatives.

To set your mind at rest I bet that if they tested the taps in the toilets and the taps for a kitchen sink the level of germs would be comparable, In fact don't they say there are more germs on a kitchen cloth than a toilet seat.

There is no specific legislation in this case. As long as the area is cleaned reguarly.

I'm not being fliappant just realistic.

It shouldn't be to difficult to cut into the hot and cold water supply and run them to a new sink that could be installed else where of course this assumes there is space for one nearby so the waste for the current sinks can be used. But as others have said common sense should be used or use disposable cups that are used in vending machines.

Phil