Between the fourth quarter of 2017 and the first quarter of 2018, Building Safety Group (BSG) inspectors found an 8% rise in welfare breaches on construction sites. This includes, typically, failure to provide washing facilities.
According to a report by the Unite union last year, one in five construction sites provide no drinking water, 22% provide no hot water, while 14% provide no water at all; 40% said that toilets and showers were not cleaned daily and some said they were never cleaned at all.
BSG technical support manager Chris Chapman said: “Having access to a toilet and washing facilities to remove any contamination after carrying out works such as groundworks and bricklaying on site is not a luxury; it is a basic human right. Workers need to feel that they are valued and their health and welfare is taken into consideration by their employer. The law states that welfare facilities need to be arranged on site before any work can begin. These facilities need to be considered during the planning stages and then maintained to a high standard throughout the entire lifespan of the project.”
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