Health, Safety and Welfare at Work
Welfare at Work
Guidance for Employers on Welfare Provisions
This page contains notes on good practice which are not
compulsory but which you may find helpful in considering what you
need to do.
Introduction
If you employ anyone (however short the period) you must ‘so far
as is reasonably practicable’, provide adequate and appropriate
welfare facilities for them while they are at work. This means you
must provide such facilities unless it is clearly unreasonable in
terms of time, trouble, cost and physical difficulty.
‘Welfare facilities’ are those that are necessary for the
well-being of your employees, such as washing, toilet, rest and
changing facilities, and somewhere clean to eat and drink during
breaks.
This leaflet gives you simple, practical advice on how you can
meet these requirements. The information may also be of interest to
employees and the self-employed. It summarises the requirements of
the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992.
You may also find it useful to discuss your needs with
manufacturers and suppliers of welfare facilities, services and
consumables.
What toilet and washing facilities do I need to provide?
You have to provide adequate toilet and washing facilities for
your employees. ‘Adequate’ means you have to provide:
- enough toilets and washbasins for those expected to use them -
people should not have to queue for long periods to go to the
toilet;
- where possible, separate facilities for men and women - failing
that, rooms with lockable doors;
- clean facilities - to help achieve this walls and floors should
preferably be tiled (or covered in suitable waterproof material) to
make them easier to clean;
- a supply of toilet paper and, for female employees, a means of
disposing of sanitary dressings;
- facilities that are well lit and ventilated;
- facilities with hot and cold running water;
- enough soap or other washing agents;
- a basin large enough to wash hands and forearms, if
necessary;
- a means for drying hands, eg. paper towels or a hot air
dryer;
- showers where necessary, eg. for particularly dirty work.
You must always consider the needs of those with
disabilities.
How many facilities do I need to provide?
The following tables show the minimum number of toilets and
washbasins that should be provided.
Number of toilets and washbasins for mixed use (or women
only):
| Number of people at work |
Number of toilets |
Number of washbasins |
| 1-5 |
1 |
1 |
| 6-25 |
2 |
2 |
| 26-50 |
3 |
3 |
| 51-75 |
4 |
4 |
| 76-100 |
5 |
5 |
Toilets used by men only:
| Number of men at work |
Number of toilets |
Number of washbasins |
| 1-15 |
1 |
1 |
| 16-30 |
2 |
1 |
| 31-45 |
2 |
2 |
| 46-60 |
3 |
2 |
| 61-75 |
3 |
3 |
| 76-90 |
4 |
3 |
| 91-100 |
4 |
4 |
What if staff work in remote workplaces without suitable
plumbing and a water supply?
You may need to provide chemical toilets and washing facilities,
such as water containers.
What if my employees are working at temporary
worksites?
‘So far as is reasonably practicable’ you need to provide
flushing toilets and running water. Portable cabins converted into
toilet facilities are available from hire companies. If this is not
possible, consider alternatives such as chemical toilets and water
containers.
Use of public toilets and washing
facilities should be a last resort and not used just because they
are the cheaper option. This would not be acceptable where the
provision of better facilities would be reasonably practicable.
Do I need to provide drinking water?
Yes. The law requires that you provide drinking water and ensure
that:
- it is free from contamination and is preferably from the public
water supply - bottled water dispensers are acceptable as a
secondary supply;
- it is easily accessible by all employees;
- there are adequate supplies taking into consideration the
temperature of the working environment and types of work
activity;
- cups or a drinking fountain are provided.
- Drinking water does not have to be marked unless there is a
significant risk of people drinking non
- drinking water.
Do I have to provide a room for those who
smoke?
No. It is against the law to smoke in virtually all enclosed
public places and workplaces in England, including most work
vehicles. Similar legislation exists in Scotland and Wales. Further
information is available at http://www.smokefreeengland.co.uk/.
What arrangements should I make for meal
breaks?
There should be a suitable seating area for workers to use
during breaks - it needs to be clean and located where food will
not get contaminated.
There should be washing facilities nearby, and a means of
heating food or water for hot drinks. You must maintain good
hygiene standards.
What facilities do I need to provide for changing and
storing clothing?
If the work activity requires your employees to change into and
wear specialist clothing (overalls, a uniform, thermal clothing,
etc), then you must provide enough changing rooms for the number of
people expected to use them.
Where a changing room is provided it should:
- be readily accessible;
- contain, or lead directly to, clothing storage and washing
facilities;
- provide seating;
- provide a means for hanging clothes - a hook or peg may be
sufficient;
- ensure the privacy of the user.
Separate use of changing facilities should be available to men
and women.
Try to prevent employees’ own clothing coming into contact with
work-soiled clothing or getting dirty or wet. Provide separate
storage for clean and contaminated clothing which:
- allows wet clothing to be hung up to dry out during the course
of the day;
- is well ventilated.
Separate guidance is available from HSE Books on the provision
of personal protective equipment (see ‘Find out more’).
Do I need to provide rest facilities for pregnant women
and nursing mothers?
Yes, if it is ‘reasonably practicable’ for you to do so. You may
need to provide a room for pregnant women/nursing mothers to rest
or lie down.
If I do all this, have I done enough?
No. You must also ensure that the facilities are kept clean and
in good condition, and that there is always an adequate supply of
toilet paper, soap etc. This means that you need to put in place an
effective system to maintain them to a high standard, including
regular cleaning.
Ask yourself - would you be happy to use the welfare facilities
you provide for your employees?
Find out more
- Workplace health, safety and welfare: A short guide for
managers
- Leaflet INDG244(rev1) HSE Books 2006 (single copy free or
priced packs of 15 ISBN 978 0 7176 6192 3)
- Workplace health, safety and welfare. Workplace (Health,
Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992. Approved Code of Practice and
guidance L24 HSE Books 1992 ISBN 978 0 7176 0413 5
- A short guide to the Personal Protective Equipment at Work
Regulations 1992
- INDG174(rev1) HSE Books 2005 (single copy free or priced packs
of 15 ISBN 978 0 7176 6141 1)
- Provision of welfare facilities at fixed construction
sites Construction Information Sheet CIS18(rev1) HSE Books
1998
- Provision of welfare facilities at transient construction sites
Construction Information Sheet CIS46 HSE Books 1997
Contact Environmental Health
E-mail: envhealth@dover.gov.uk
