Improving health and safety on construction sites.

We have recently published a white paper report titled: ‘Improving health and safety on construction sites – Why welfare facilities are important to on site safety’.

This report focusses on the current dangers of construction industry along with how health and safety conditions can be improved. This is an industry which accounted for 39 fatalities in the year 2020/2021 (more than any other industry). In particular the report looks at how welfare facilities can be used to help improve health and safety conditions. The report collects data and information from various HSE (and other organizations) reports/documents. In this blog post I will talk to through the main highlights of the paper.

The HSE is a governing body that regulates health and safety standards across the UK. They are there to help prevent work related death, injury, or ill health. They set laws and guidelines that must be followed by industries and local authorities. Aswell as researching and collecting data regarding any injuries and how they occurred. Seeing how and where improvements can be made in order to avoid them in the future.

Health and safety in construction

The construction industry is dangerous with plenty of risks and hazard coming along with the job. There has been significant improvements to the industries health and safety standards throughout the years (thanks to the HSE). Despite this, it is obvious that there is still more work to be done as 39 fatalities per year is far too many.

The best way to currently prevent hazards and injuries is through extensive planning. Risk assessments and method statements should be made before a projects or individual tasks. This is in order to identify any potential risks and hazards before hand so arrangements can be made to try and prevent them. They are also to know how to deal with incidents if they do occour. If any incidents do take place it is extremely important that they are recorded. This could then help to prevent it from happening again.

Site Welfare Facilities.

Welfare facilities are extremely important in helping to maintain a sites health and safety standards. They help to improve everybody on sites (employees, visitors, customers) general wellbeing. The facilities can help to provide basic human needs such as a place to go to the toilet and drinking water. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) states that there are seven main types of welfare facilities.

• Sanitary Facilities
• Washing Facilities
• Catering Facilities (food & drink)
• Changing facilities (changing, storing, and drying clothes)
• Resting facilities
• Childcare Facilities
• First Aid Facilities

This chapter takes a closer look at each of these facilities.

HSE Guidelines

The HSE set out guidelines and standards on what welfare facilities should be available. They detail the amount of facilities that’ll be needed in order for the site to be considered adequate. This chapter looks at all of the required guidelines set out for each of the welfare facilities. For example this list is provided on their site for how many bathrooms each workplace should have. View the full page here. 

Number of toilets and washbasins for mixed use (or women only)

Toilets used by men only

Welfare Facilities Available.

As welfare facility providers ourselves we thought it would be go to make this report in order to show the benefits that they can offer to a site. The final chapter is all about what welfare facilities are available for the construction industry to utilize.  It details the products and services in how they can help the construction industry meet HSE requirements.

If this this interests you and you want to find out more be sure to read the full report.

Improving health and safety on construction sites – Why welfare facilities are important to on site safety

Check out some of our other health and safety blog posts:

Site safety reminders: Safety Signs and Fire Safety

Site Safety reminders: manual handling and working from height