> Disclaimer: SiteKiln gives you plain-English information, not legal or health and safety advice. Always follow your site-specific risk assessments and talk to a qualified professional.
The short version
CDM 2015 says every construction site must have minimum welfare facilities: toilets, washing, drinking water, somewhere to rest and eat, and changing/drying where needed.
Contractors have to provide this, and clients must make sure it happens -- it's not optional, and it applies from day one, not "when the job gets bigger".
Why it matters
Bad welfare -- filthy loos, no hot water, no shelter, nowhere to eat -- is more than just grim; it drives illness, cuts productivity and is a red flag to HSE that management don't take health and safety seriously.
HSE have said repeatedly that they expect proper welfare on even small sites, and they issue notices where it's missing -- it's usually one of the first things they look at when they visit.
What the law actually requires (CDM 2015 Schedule 2)
Schedule 2 of CDM 2015 sets out the minimum welfare facilities for any construction site:
Sanitary conveniences (toilets)
- Suitable and sufficient toilets at readily accessible places.
- Separate facilities for men and women, or lockable single-occupancy units.
- Kept clean, ventilated, lit, with adequate supplies of toilet paper.
- Flushing toilets with connected hand-washing should be provided where reasonably practicable; chemical toilets are a last resort.
Washing facilities
- Suitable and sufficient washing facilities, including showers if needed by the nature of the work or for health reasons (e.g. contamination risks).
- With clean hot and cold or warm running water, soap or other cleaning, and towels or other means of drying.
- Located close to toilets and, where necessary, to changing rooms.
Drinking water
- Adequate supply of wholesome drinking water, readily accessible and clearly marked as drinking water.
- Cups or drinking vessels provided unless it's a drinking fountain.
Changing rooms and lockers
- Where workers have to wear special work clothing and can't reasonably be expected to change elsewhere, suitable changing rooms must be provided.
- Rooms should be easily accessible, large enough, with seating, and have facilities to dry clothing if it gets wet.
- Secure storage (lockers) for personal clothing and valuables where needed.
Facilities for rest
- Rest rooms or rest areas that are readily accessible.
- Must have enough tables and seating with backs for the number of people likely to use them at one time.
- Must include arrangements so meals can be prepared and eaten, and means for boiling water (kettle, urn, etc.).
- Must be maintained at an appropriate temperature -- in winter that usually means heating.
All of this must be suitable and sufficient, properly maintained, and available from the start of the job, scaled to the size and nature of the project.
Who has to provide it -- and for who
Principal contractor (PC):
- On multi-contractor jobs, the PC has the primary duty to make sure suitable welfare facilities are provided from the start and maintained, in line with Schedule 2.
- Welfare should be part of the Construction Phase Plan and priced into prelims, not left to chance.
Single contractor jobs:
- If there's only one contractor, that contractor is responsible for providing welfare for everyone on site.
Clients:
- Must ensure arrangements are in place for welfare -- they can't just say "it's the builder's problem" and look away.
Self-employed and subbies:
- Must have access to welfare. The PC / main contractor usually provides shared facilities, but each employer (including your small firm) is still responsible for making sure their workers actually have adequate welfare available.
The cost is a commercial issue (usually in prelims), but not providing proper welfare is a legal breach, and HSE have a specific Construction Information Sheet on minimum provision.
What this means on a real small site
For a typical small job (say 4-10 workers):
A proper welfare unit or cabin with:
- At least one flushing toilet (or, if truly not practicable, a serviced chemical toilet) with hand-wash and hot water.
- A small canteen/rest room with tables, chairs with backs, kettle/urn, microwave or similar, and heating in cold weather.
- Drinking water point with cups or bottles.
- Somewhere to hang wet gear and, if needed, lock small valuables.
On very short-duration or very small jobs:
- You can sometimes use existing building facilities if they're clean, safe, and separate from work areas -- but "use the customer's loo if they're in" isn't good enough.
- HSE expect facilities to be within reasonable distance (guidance often talks about around 100 m or similar sensible access).
If you're turning up to a job that's expected to last weeks and all you've got is a dirty chemical loo with no hand-wash and no rest area, that's not what CDM expects.
Quick "is the welfare acceptable?" check
Ask yourself:
Toilets: Are there enough loos, kept clean, with hand-washing and hot water, reasonably close to where you're working?
Washing: Can you actually wash hands (and forearms if needed) with hot water, soap and a way to dry, near both the toilets and any particularly dirty work?
Water: Is there clearly marked drinking water with cups/bottles, not "tap in the yard, help yourself if you trust it"?
Rest: Is there a sheltered, reasonably warm rest area with tables, chairs with backs, and a way to boil water and heat food?
Changing/drying: If the work or weather means wet or contaminated clothing, is there somewhere sensible to change and dry kit?
If the answer is "no" to several of those, the site likely isn't meeting CDM Schedule 2.
What to do next
- Check your current job has proper toilets, hand-washing with hot water, drinking water and a sheltered rest area -- if any are missing, sort them today.
- Price welfare into your prelims for the next job, not as an afterthought.
- If you're working on someone else's site and the welfare is grim, raise it with the principal contractor -- it's their duty to provide it.
- Make sure there's somewhere to dry wet clothes if the weather is bad and the work is outside.
- If HSE visit, welfare is usually the first thing they check -- get ahead of it.
Sources
- Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 -- Schedule 2: minimum welfare facilities for construction sites.
- Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 -- general duties to provide a safe and healthy workplace.
- HSE -- Construction welfare overview and guidance on toilets and washing.
Disclaimer
This guide is general information for small UK construction businesses and trades, not formal legal advice.
SiteKiln is not a law firm and this page is not a substitute for getting advice on your specific situation.
Health and safety law and HSE guidance on welfare (including CDM 2015 Schedule 2) are updated from time to time, and how they apply will always depend on the exact facts on your job and your role.
If you're dealing with serious welfare shortcomings, HSE involvement, or contract disputes over welfare provision, get specific advice from a competent health and safety professional or solicitor before you make big decisions.
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