HSE Welfare Regulations

What are HSE Welfare Facilities?

 

The health and safety of your workforce on a construction site is non-negotiable. Your construction workforce needs to have access to basic welfare facilities on site from day one. However, considering the risks and hazards of construction work, additional amenities are needed.

 

Welfare facilities are a set of essential amenities provided for the workforce that ensure their health, well-being, and safety at work. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is a UK government agency in charge of regulations and enforcing health, welfare, and safety at the workplace.

 

Avoid HSE notices over non-compliance, protect your workers, and keep your project running. Here’s what HSE welfare regulations require and how we help.

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Minimum HSE Welfare Facilities Required on Construction Sites

Toilets are indispensable on construction sites. They should be cleaned regularly, well-ventilated, adequately lit, and supplied with sufficient water for flushing for greater comfort and convenience. When flushing toilets are not feasible, the next best option is to make alternative arrangements for a built-in water supply and drainage tanks.
Unisex toilet cubicles need to have proper locking mechanisms and be placed away from urinals used by men.
The number of toilets depends on the size of your workforce. The BS 6465-1:2006 code of practice recommends at least one toilet for every 7 persons on sites where workers are working 40 hours per week, and toilets are emptied once a week.
All toilets must have sufficient toilet paper, and those used by women need to contain sanitary waste disposal bins.
The last option is portable chemical toilets, because they often only meet minimum standards and do not provide the full comfort or amenities of mobile welfare cabins.
According to HSE regulations, welfare facilities must include washing facilities such as wash basins with hot and cold running water, soap, towels, or other means of drying. They must be located near toilets or changing areas and must be well-lit and ventilated.
Place wash basins or sinks for handwashing near toilets or canteen areas. They need to be large enough to wash hands and forearms.
Depending on the nature of construction work, showers should be provided.

Your site needs to have a readily available and clearly marked water supply, either sourced from a main supply or a stored supply which is refreshed regularly. Placing cups or other drinking water outlets supports your workers’ hydration needs.

HSE’s regulations on welfare facilities state that all sites need to offer adequate rest and eating areas. They must be sheltered to safeguard your personnel from adverse weather conditions. You need to equip the rest and eating areas with heating systems, tables, seats, and canteen appliances for food and drink preparation.
All sites require areas for changing into and out of work clothes, as well as a secure storage space for clothing and personal belongings and a drying area. Ideally, these areas should be separate for men and women. When applicable, make provisions for additional storage for protective site clothing.
Your welfare facilities must be adequately heated and ventilated. Ensure the heating systems are safe to use in confined spaces with fire hazard precautions in place.
Hireforce Welfare delivers HSE-compliant welfare facilities on site, manages servicing, and ensures regulatory standards, so you can focus on your construction project. Request a quote today.

Do You Need a Site Office?

A site office can serve as the centre of your operations, helping all working on your project stay organised and on top of their daily tasks. With an on-site office, you:

 

  • Reduce time spent in constant movement across the site
  • Enhance coordination with teams
  • Offer a dedicated space for meetings, collaboration, and discussions between contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, and clients
  • Provide secure storage and access to project documentation such as contracts, blueprints, schedules, permits, and daily progress reports
  • Help keep track of inventory, deliveries, and usage, minimising delays
  • Provide a space for safety briefings, training sessions, and the management of safety protocols
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Hireforce Welfare Services

 

Hireforce Welfare is a part of the Hireforce group, a leading independent tool and equipment hire business. Our years of experience specialising in welfare hire allow us to offer HSE-compliant welfare facilities on construction sites and deliver anywhere in the wider UK.

 

Hire our HSE and CDM-compliant welfare facilities and ease your responsibility of meeting HSE and CDM regulations.

 

Our Ecosmart welfare hire range features:

  • 6 Person Ecosmart Welfare Unit
  • 10 Person Ecosmart Welfare Unit
  • 10 Person Ecosmart Welfare Unit with Office
  • 16 Person Ecosmart Welfare Unit with Office
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Our Accreditations

HSE Requires Sites to Provide

 

  • Clean and working toilets
  • Washbasins and a sink large enough to wash face, hands, and forearms
  • Supply of hot and cold running water, soap and towels
  • Changing areas, facilities for drying clothes and storage
  • Rest and eating areas with adequate tables and seats with backs
  • Clean drinking water
  • Facilities to prepare food and boil water

 

Traditional portaloos only meet part of these requirements, whilst modern towable welfare units from Hireforce Welfare provide a comprehensive solution. We help you meet HSE and CDM standards (Construction Design and Management Regulations 2015) while delivering safe and essential site welfare facilities.

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Our Latest Reviews

Mark Bance

Mark Bance

2025-08-08

Used these welfare units several times on site projects and will continue to use them moving forwards. Modern, well equipped welfare units every time, coming with frequent and reliable servicing. The guys were always helpful and reacted quickly when I needed their assistance, even at short notice.

Ria Stevens

Ria Stevens

2024-09-15

Really happy with the service we have received, the staff are always keen to help and always go the extra mile. Would highly recommend for your welfare needs.

Simon Reynolds

Simon Reynolds

2024-07-18

Excellent service, Multiple hires for us at Tipper Tool Hire across the country, always first class and delivered exactly when said, welfare units are new and fully serviced/cleaned on time every time highly recommend for your site welfare needs.

Graham Talbot

Graham Talbot

2025-01-08

Great service, nice and clean and delivered when requested.

Kerrie Quinn

Kerrie Quinn

2025-12-15

Always a great service from these guys, nothing is ever too much trouble and always deliver when they say they are going to even at short notice. Highly recommended.

Mark Bance

Mark Bance

2025-08-08

Used these welfare units several times on site projects and will continue to use them moving forwards. Modern, well equipped welfare units every time, coming with frequent and reliable servicing. The guys were always helpful and reacted quickly when I needed their assistance, even at short notice.

Ria Stevens

Ria Stevens

2024-09-15

Really happy with the service we have received, the staff are always keen to help and always go the extra mile. Would highly recommend for your welfare needs.

Common Questions about Welfare Facilities on Construction Sites

Yes, all our units follow HSE and CDM guidelines for on-site welfare.
Delivery times depend on the site location and availability of our welfare units. Our delivery network can deliver welfare units to project sites across the wider UK.

From a few days for short-term hire to months for long-term projects, we offer flexible hire periods, depending on the duration of your project. Contact us to discuss welfare hire durations.


It depends on the size and type of unit you choose. Our range can comfortably accommodate 6 to 16 persons, with the 10 and 16-person versions also including an additional 3-person site office space.

Why Choose Hireforce?

 

We support your project’s needs, not just as a welfare unit hire provider, but as a partner with industry expertise, specialist knowledge and a reliable team that delivers nothing less than assured.

 

For years, we have helped dozens of projects with our ready-to-deploy welfare cabins, with support at every step of the way, from initial consultation to on-site delivery.

Our USPs

    • Specialist in welfare solutions for the UK construction & building industry
    • A well-maintained, modern welfare unit range
    • Accommodate 6 to 16 persons in one unit
    • Delivery across the wider UK
    • Regular toilet servicing
    • Responsive support team

Call 0345 3503793 or email [email protected].

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