Welfare Facilities -Frequently Asked Questions

What facilities should be provided on site for shelter and clothes drying owing to bad weather?
Is the employer required to provide accommodation for taking meals on a construction site?
What facilities should be provided for boiling of water and heating food?
Should drinking water be supplied on site?
Is there a need for changing rooms and lockers on a site?
If changing rooms are not required where will I keep my personal effect or clothes?
Should there be separate changing rooms for men and women?
What washing facilities should I provide for my workers on site?
How many basins do I need to supply for my workers on site?
Some of my workers are involved in a process in which a dangerous substance is use – do I need to provide any additional washing facilities?
Is there a need to provide showers on site?
How many toilets are needed on site?
Are there any other requirements to be considered when providing sanitary conveniences?
Is smoking allowed in rest rooms and accommodation areas?
Should provisions be made for pregnant women working on site?
Should provisions be made for disabled workers?

What facilities should be provided on site for shelter and clothes drying owing to bad weather?

Where there are more than five persons at work on a site there should be enclosed accommodation for taking shelter and drying wet clothes.
Where there are five persons or less at work on a site, such arrangements as are practicable for enabling persons to warm themselves and for drying wet clothes.
Where personal protective clothing is used for work, accommodation should be provided for clothing, with arrangements for drying such clothing if it becomes wet.

Is the employer required to provide accommodation for taking meals on a construction site?

The employer is responsible for providing accommodation for protection from the weather with sufficient tables and seats with backs, for taking meals. All accommodation shall be ventilated, lighted, kept in a clean condition and shall not be used for the storage of building materials.

What facilities should be provided for boiling of water and heating food?

Facilities for boiling water and, where there are more than five persons at work on a site, facilities for heating food should be available.

Should drinking water be supplied on site?

An adequate supply of wholesome drinking water and possibly another suitable non-alcoholic beverage, should be provided at a convenient point or points.

Is there a need for changing rooms and lockers on a site?

Appropriate changing rooms shall be provided for persons at work if: -

they have to wear special work clothes and if, for reasons of health or propriety, they cannot be expected to change in another area.
work clothes are likely to be contaminated by dangerous substances, atmospheric conditions or the conditions of the workplace, facilities shall be provided to enable working clothes to be kept in a place from personal clothing and effects.

If changing rooms are not required where will I keep my personal effect or clothes?

If changing rooms are not required every person at work shall be provided with a place to lock away his or her own clothes and personal effects.

Should there be separate changing rooms for men and women?

Provisions shall be made for separate changing rooms or separate use of changing rooms for men and women.

What washing facilities should I provide for my workers on site?

Washing facilities shall be provided at every construction site which are appropriate to the numbers of persons at work and the duration of the work. If the work to be undertaken on the site will not be completed within thirty working days from commencement the facilities shall include:

adequate wash basins.
adequate and suitable means of cleaning and drying, being either soap or towels or other means.
a sufficient supply of hot and cold or warm running water.
separate washbasins, or separate use of washbasins for men and women.
convenient access from the room for taking meals.
adequate lighting, ventilation and be clean.

How many basins do I need to supply for my workers on site?

Where there are more than 100 persons at work on a site and there are reasonable grounds for believing that the work to be undertaken on the site will not be completed within 12 months from commencement, washbasins shall be provided on the following scale: -

6 with the addition of 1 for every unit of 20 persons at work by which the number of persons exceeds 100

Some of my workers are involved in a process in which a dangerous substance is use – do I need to provide any additional washing facilities?

As well as providing the above washing facilities the relevant contractor shall provide:-

adequate number of nail brushes.
one washbasin, as may be appropriate, for every 5 persons at work.

Is there a need to provide showers on site?

Suitable showers in sufficient numbers shall be provided for persons at work if required by the nature of the work or for health reasons. The following should be considered: -

separate shower rooms or separate use of shower rooms should be provided for men and women.
the shower rooms shall be sufficiently large to permit each person to wash without hindrance in conditions of an appropriate standard of hygiene.
the showers shall be equipped with hot and cold running water.
if showers or washbasins are housed separately from the changing rooms, there shall be easy communication between the two.

How many toilets are needed on site?

The following should be considered when determining how many toilets are necessary on a construction site: -

at least 1 suitable sanitary convenience, (not being a urinal) must be provided for every 20 persons at work on site.
where there are more than 100 persons at work on a site, and sufficient urinal accommodation is also provided it shall be sufficient if there is 1 suitable sanitary convenience for every 25 persons at work on the site up to the first 100 and 1 for every 35 persons thereafter.
provision shall be made for separate sanitary conveniences or separate use of sanitary conveniences for men and women

Are there any other requirements to be considered when providing sanitary conveniences?

The contractor is responsible to ensure that: -

every sanitary convenience shall be sufficiently ventilated and shall not communicate with any workroom or messroom except through the open air or through an intervening ventilated space.
every sanitary convenience shall be under cover and so partitioned off as to secure privacy and every sanitary convenience, other than a convenience suitable only as a urinal, shall have a proper door and fastening.
the sanitary conveniences shall be so arranged as to be conveniently accessible to persons at work at all times while they are at the site and shall where practicable be close to the washing facilities.
every sanitary convenience shall be maintained in a clean and hygienic condition.

Is smoking allowed in rest rooms and accommodation areas?

The Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) Act 2004 (No. 6 of 2004) placed a ban on smoking at all enclosed places of work from 29/03/04 to protect persons at work from exposure to environmental tobacco smoke.

Should provisions be made for pregnant women working on site?

Pregnant women and nursing mothers shall be able to lie down to rest in appropriate conditions.

Should provisions be made for disabled workers?

Workplaces must be organised to take account of special needs workers, if necessary. This provision applies to the doors, passageways, staircases, showers, washbasins, lavatories and workstations used or occupied directly by disabled workers. More information is available from the National Disability Authority at 01 6080400 or www.nda.ie

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Welfare Facilities -Frequently Asked Questions

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