Are you the duty holder of a construction sites? If so, it’s important to understand both what you must provide to your workers and why this is important, both legally and for you and your company. Choosing the right welfare unit and the right hire company can provide significant benefits to your business.
A site welfare unit is an essential part of any construction site. Besides the legal requirements, a high-quality construction site welfare unit is a great way of showing your workers that you care about their wellbeing. Having all facilities on-site decreases lost time and increases productivity, plus taking good care of your workers helps you attract and keep skilled, dependable staff.
There are a wide variety of portable welfare units available, ranging from the basic to the luxurious. Besides toilets and washbasins, your other options include luxuries such as showers, offices and kitchen areas, all within a self-contained, portable unit.
Construction site welfare units are where you and your workers will be spending most of your on-site downtime, so it’s important that you hire one with all the facilities you need. Here are a few key questions to consider before you decide which unit is right for you:
- How many workers do you need to accommodate?
- Do you just need one welfare unit or – with large sites especially – multiple units?
- What are the minimum HSE standards you are required to meet?
- What are the benefits in going above and beyond these standards?
- Sends a message that your business cares about its workers
- Attracting and retaining skilled workers
- Sends the right message to visitors
- Reduces the need for workers to go off-site
- Increases productivity
- Happier workforce
- What facilities are available in a portable welfare unit and what do you want to provide?
- Toilets
- Showers
- Washing facilities
- Drying facilities
- Changing areas
- Kitchen
- Rest areas
- Offices
- Do you need separate units for male and female workers?
- How often will the facilities need cleaning and emptying?
All of these are important questions you need to ask yourself when hiring a construction site welfare unit. Fortunately, LetLoos can help. We are an experienced and reputable hire company, with numerous site welfare units available. Let’s have a more detailed look at some of the factors you need to take into consideration.
What welfare services are you legally required to provide?
As a duty holder involved in construction work, it is always advisable to go above and beyond when you hire a welfare unit. However, there are minimum standards that are legally required by the HSE under the general duties, construction design and management regulations. These include:
- Toilets – It is important that where reasonably practical, there is both running water and flushing toilets. Ideally, these should be connected to the mains water and drainage systems. If this is not possible, you are required to provide a built-in water supply and drainage tanks. Portable toilets are acceptable in cases where it is not reasonably practical to provide any other solution.
It is also vital that toilets are ventilated, well-lit and kept clean. It’s worth noting that the level of cleaning will depend on the general usage of the toilets. In some cases, it’s possible that a daily clean will not be enough to keep the toilets in the right condition. For example, where there is heavy usage or where environmental factors such as mud are an issue.
You will also need to make sure that you are providing the right number of toilets. Typically, the number will depend on how many workers are on-site and the facilities that are being provided. Portable toilets will also need emptying. If toilets are being emptied once a week, the recommended ratio is 1 toilet per every 7 individuals.
Although not always ideal, it is acceptable under the regulations for both men and women to use the same toilets. However, this will only be the case if you are able to provide a lockable room that is separate from urinals. You will also need to ensure that toilet paper and other supplies are available.
- Washing Facilities – There must be washing facilities next to the toilets as well as any changing areas that are provided. The washing facilities must include soap as well as options for drying including towels. Ventilation must be provided in this area and sinks should be large enough to wash various areas of the body. This includes the face, hands, and forearms. The supply of water here should run both hot and cold. Where possible, water should be running and not stagnant. Remember mobile welfare unit hire prices will differ depending on the features and facilities included.
You can provide unisex shower facilities. However, this should only be the case where there is a separate lockable room, suitable for use by one person at the time.
- Drinking Water – You must make sure that you are providing employees with drinking water. It should be supplied from the mains where possible. If it is stored, then it needs to be protected from issues with contamination.
- Changing Areas – Separate changing areas should be provided for both male and female employees. In some cases, separate lockers may also be required. There may also be the need to provide an area where wet clothes can be dried effectively without issues. For instance, electric heaters will need to be ventilated. Consider this when exploring a groundhog welfare unit hire cost.
Benefits of choosing the right site welfare unit
There are numerous benefits to arranging a portable welfare unit for workers operating on your construction site. The best welfare units arrive with all the facilities you could need. Besides toilets and washing facilities, a high-end site welfare unit can include everything from a changing area that is fully lit, an area to dry wet clothing and even a kitchen facility.
The changing area can be accessed if workers will need to change into special clothing and the kitchen area reduces the need for long lunch breaks as it means that workers don’t need to travel off-site.
A key advantage to you is that it will save time and ensure that your construction site is far more efficient. Workers will need to spend less time searching for the solutions that they need, meaning they can focus more on the job at hand.
They will know that all the facilities they require are all in one place. This will also improve levels of comfort, which has been shown to have a fantastic impact on productivity, as well as increasing socialisation between staff.
A groundhog welfare unit hire solution is also designed to be completely secure. In many cases, they can be locked up when not in use. As such, they can be used to store valuable documents, tools and personal items of your workers.
You will not have to worry about issues with loss or theft when you use one of these facilities. Again, this provides comfort for employees and ensures that they will not need to worry about their personal items or belongings.
Mobile welfare unit hire services are also available. As such, they can be set up precisely where you need them. This is ideal for remote construction sites where there are likely to be limited built facilities close by.
They can also be easily towed around the site as construction progresses to ensure that the facilities are precisely where you need them and work well with your current setup. A construction site is often constantly in flux and with a portable welfare unit, the facilities for your staff can be adjusted accordingly.
Choosing the right mobile welfare unit for hire will also help improve your business reputation. As well as ensuring that you remain compliant with the latest regulations, it guarantees that you are sending a clear message that you care about your workers.
This is going to help you attract and retain future employees and is guaranteed to impress any clients who may be visiting your sites.
It provides strong evidence that you are a professional business and willing to invest the time and resources into ensuring that your team has the level of comfort they deserve. This is another reason why it’s important to choose the best welfare unit that will deliver an exceptional standard of quality.
Find out more now
It is important not to cut corners when selecting a site welfare unit for hire. You must make sure that it reaches the right standards that your employees both require and deserve. Furthermore, you need to find a service that fits your business budget.
At LetLoos we can help. We deliver high-quality units ideal for construction sites that will match your needs and our welfare unit hire cost is sure to fit your budget. We help you comply with the latest health and safety regulations while ensuring that your team gains access to nothing less than the best facilities.
You can order a welfare unit online or call us directly and we’ll be happy to help. Alternatively, feel free to send us your queries via the contact form on our website and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
