01 November 2021
The Health and Safety Inspectorate has recently completed a series of focussed inspections of construction sites to check the relevant contractor’s compliance with regards to welfare, provide advice and guidance and, where necessary, take the appropriate enforcement action to secure compliance when the standards fell far short of the minimum legal requirements.
To comply with the general duties imposed by the Health and Safety at Work (Jersey) Law 1989 and Regulation 34 of the Management in Construction Regulations (Jersey) 2016, (Construction Regulations) all persons engaged in work on a construction site must have reasonable access to appropriate amenities for their comfort, welfare and hygiene.
As a minimum, this must include:
- adequate toilet and washing facilities with hot and cold running water
- drinking water
- a rest room / area to sit, make drinks and eat food
- somewhere to change, dry and store clothing and personal protective equipment
Of the 20 sites visited, the majority were complying with the legal requirements relating to the provision of welfare facilities, and it was pleasing to note the general overall improvement in the standard of facilities seen this year.
Fig 1: General improvement in welfare facilities
One common issue of concern, however, was the level of general cleanliness of the canteen area and toilets. Contractors are encouraged to review their current cleaning procedures to ensure they are adequate, particularly as the use of indoor facilities is likely to increase as we move into winter.
It was necessary to serve Enforcement Notices at two sites for a failure to meet the minimum requirements of the Construction Regulations, including a failure to provide any handwashing facilities.
In the current pandemic, the provision of good welfare facilities with ready access to hot and cold running water for handwashing is of particularly critical importance to mitigate against the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases.
Fig 2: This photo shows toilet facilities identifed on one site. The water in the black bucket was the sole means of flushing the toilet and for washing of hands
The use of public toilet facilities by site workers was queried during two visits. Relying on public facilities is only acceptable for a very small minority of short duration projects (e.g. less than a week) where it would not be reasonably practicable to provide on-site facilities. In most cases adequate welfare facilities should be planned for and provided on site from the first day of the project.
Other matters discussed
A number of businesses advised they had signed up for the “workforce screening programme” with operatives carrying out regular Lateral Flow Tests. All construction businesses are encouraged to participate in the free programme, which will help minimise spread of the virus at work and help support business continuity. Further details are available lateral flow testing programme .
Well-being was also spoken about and it was heartening to see the consideration being given to occupational health, including mental health and use of sun protection, on many sites.
This initiative was also a good opportunity to remind relevant contractors of the requirement under Regulation 36 of the Construction Regulations to provide adequate first aid provision for the initial treatment of any foreseeable injuries or illnesses that may arise on site following the targeted initiative earlier in the year. Further information available from first aid in construction initiative.
Further advice can be found at www.gov.je/hsi or by contacting the Health and Safety Inspectorate on 447300.
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