What On-Site Amenities Do You Need to Set Up a Construction Site?

The UK’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) mandates that construction site managers must provide their workers with health and welfare amenities, ensuring that they have everything they need to function safely on site. Before any operations can take place, contractors and managers must be certain that their workers' needs are met and that the amenities they provide are of a good, functioning standard and are well-maintained.

If those responsible for health and safety fail to meet the HSE's legal requirements, construction sites could be halted or shut down. They could also face serious legal repercussions if any problems arise due to the lack of welfare facilities on the site. Therefore, it is essential that contractors and managers ensure they understand the HSE's requirements before they begin a construction project and factor in their legal obligations at the planning stages.

In the following guide, the temporary accommodation experts at Bunkabin outline your legal responsibilities, detail the amenities you must provide on your construction site before any work can take place, and explain your responsibilities to your workers over the course of a project.

What are the HSE's on-site requirements?

The HSE states that contractors have an obligation to provide toilets and washing facilities, sheltered areas to change and rest, and places for workers to prepare food. Depending on the number of people using the site and the type of work that they are undertaking, contractors and site managers will need to make sure they provide a suitable number of amenities that are appropriate for the project. For example, if workers are dealing with hazardous materials or chemicals, they will require a separate place to wash and decontaminate to ensure that the dangerous fibres or chemicals can be safely disposed of and do not spread to any other areas of the site.

All welfare facilities must be installed in locations that are easily accessible to workers and should be signposted. If the ground underfoot is unstable or could become slippery in inclement weather, site managers should create safe paths and walkways to ensure that the site's inhabitants can move safely and efficiently between the facilities, and that these are separate from vehicle thoroughfares to reduce the risk of accidents.

Depending on your workers' needs, you may need to divide facilities by gender - in which case, you must ensure that there are enough facilities of all types for workers to use. You should consult with your workers to understand their needs and what they feel comfortable with. If they feel that toilets and washing facilities should be gendered, you should take reasonable steps to meet these needs. In either case, toilets and washing and changing areas should have lockable doors.

Contractors and site managers should provide all of the following health and welfare facilities, and follow the guidelines relevant to each:

Toilets

Construction site workers must have access to functioning toilets - they must flush, be lockable and have sinks with hot and cold running water. Contractors and building site managers must ensure that there are enough toilets for the number of workers on the site and that they are cleaned and maintained regularly. This includes the provision of soap and towels - paper or linen - to dry hands.

Toilets must be well-ventilated and have dedicated sanitary product disposal facilities for those who require them. When researching welfare facility providers, ensure that you choose an option that meets these minimum requirements to comply with HSE guidance and avoid any potential legal consequences.

Washing spaces

Construction sites must have facilities for workers to wash and freshen up. This might mean sinks with running water and enough space to wash the face and arms, or shower blocks, depending on workers’ needs. For example, if workers are living on the site for the duration of the project, they will need showers. If workers are travelling to the site and only spending a few hours a day there, they may not need full shower blocks and a sink may be sufficient to meet HSE requirements.

As with toilets, washing areas should be well-ventilated and have hot and cold running water. They must be kept clean and up to a good, functioning standard. Washing facilities for general use should be placed near toilets and accommodation so that workers have easy access to them. Washing facilities that are used for decontamination should be kept separately in a quarantine area and monitored closely, to ensure that workers do not carry any dangerous substances into other areas of the site.

Changing areas

On sites where workers need to change clothes, you should provide safe, private areas for this purpose. Changing rooms should be placed near to washing facilities, or in a quarantine zone, if they are used to change out of contaminated personal protective equipment (PPE). Changing areas should be heated in cold weather and should have space to dry any wet clothing. Additionally, they should have secure storage space for workers to keep their belongings, if there are no other safe-storage areas on the site.

Rest areas

Areas for workers to rest and enjoy recreational time are just as important as other welfare facilities. These facilities should be sheltered and heated in cold weather, or well-ventilated in hot weather. You must provide space and amenities to allow workers to prepare and eat food. Rest areas should allow workers to escape the elements and take breaks; contractors and site managers should respect their workers' need to have this space and time and should ensure that they prioritise it alongside their other health and welfare facility requirements.

Any food preparation areas should be kept hygienic and in working order, and there should be adequate space for workers to rest at any given time.

Sleeping cabins

There are a number of solutions for accommodating workers overnight that contractors and building site managers can choose from. Providing sleeping facilities is the best way to alleviate many issues that can otherwise arise - hotel stays can be expensive, but requiring workers to commute can cause delays and harm the environment. By choosing affordable, recyclable cabins that are built with top-of-the-line components, you can ensure that workers feel at home and come to work each day well-rested and ready to work. Bunkabin provides a range of site sleeper cabins, from single sleepers to deluxe options all with en-suite toilets and washing facilities, to help you meet all of your obligations to the HSE.

Bunkabin's portable cabins are perfect for any size of construction sites due to their flexibility; they are rubust, easy to transport and install and can be delivered to most sites, regardless of their location. This completely removes the need for workers to commute and improves the efficiency of sites, as workers can live directly on or next to them.

Our cabins meet the HSE's requirements; they are fully insulated and can be easily heated in cold weather, or ventilated in summer. They also have comfortable beds and provide storage space for residents. You will find options to meet the needs of any construction workers who will be staying on-site during a project.

For more information on how Bunkabin can help you to meet the HSE's requirements and get your site up and running, call us on 0345 456 7899 with your enquiry. To specify a time for us to contact you, fill out an online enquiry form.