Toilet facilities on the job

[oscar21]

Whats everyone's take on this, turned up today to start a re-wire and yet again there wasn't any toilet on the job so we ring the builder and he wasn't interested, we offered to pay for a portaloo if he gets it dropped off but he said tough, you either go home or go to a shop.

So obviously we packed everything up and left the job, we've now brought forward our next job and are starting it tomorrow so even if he relents and gets a toilet we can't do anything for 3 or 4 weeks and that's if we even want to go back.

I just don't get it, why would someone want to go to all the trouble of finding someone else, getting them to re-price it, waiting for them to have an available slot and still have the possibility that they won't start without a toilet anyway. Or they could just pay £28 per week and have toilet facilities on the job. Its madness.

 

[DPG]

Most householders have an office facility in the home and would therefore be classed as a commercial client for the purposes of the Regulations, especially if they are claiming tax benefits for using part of the home as an office.

Only if a Principal Contractor has been appointed by the Client would the requirement for the welfare facilities pass to them, if not the responsibility for the welfare facilities remains with the Client, commercial or domestic.

'Most householders have an office facility '

No. No Mike sorry.

 

[Mike Johnson]

During the last few years most office workers have worked at home, this has carried on post pandemic.

 

[DPG]

During the last few years most office workers have worked at home, this has carried on post pandemic.

Not quite the same thing

 

[James]

During the last few years most office workers have worked at home, this has carried on post pandemic.

sorry but out of 67 million people in the uk.
there are about 30 million people in the uk working

so only 45% of the population are working at all, if half of them worked in offices (optimistic at best) then you are down to 22.5% of the population.
and if half of them had the luxury of being able to have an office at home you are down to 11%

so i don't think the statement above is of any importance, 90% of the uk workforce is unlikely to have a home office.

Edit: figures have come from uk Office of national statistics and have been approximated to make the maths easier.

 

[davesparks]

Most householders have an office facility in the home and would therefore be classed as a commercial client for the purposes of the Regulations, especially if they are claiming tax benefits for using part of the home as an office.

Only if a Principal Contractor has been appointed by the Client would the requirement for the welfare facilities pass to them, if not the responsibility for the welfare facilities remains with the Client, commercial or domestic.

The definition of a commercial client on the HSE website is:

"A commercial client is any individual or organisation that carries out a construction project as part of a business."

So unless the construction project is being carried out as part of a business then the domestic client does not get defined as a commercial client just because they have an office space in their home.

 

[pirate]

Just my tongue in cheek take on this...
Suppose I have some guys working on my house, so purely a domestic situation..do I, as the instructing principal, have to provide toilet facilities?
Why would I not? Ok, so some random guys take a dump maybe once a day in my loo...is it really a problem? I have 2 loos, so not a problem really.
However...if the guys here are plumbers, they have to disconnect the loo, what then? I cannot let them use my loo, so do I have to provide them with some temporary facility by hiring a porta-loo firm?
Near to my house is a very well respected company who often do work in the estate. They have offices 500m away. Even so, they always bring in a portable loo for any job that is over a week, such as a complete kitchen and bathroom refit. They charge plenty, but it suits them and the customer. My near neighbour had his kitchen and 2 bathrooms remodelled recently. he went on holiday for a fortnight. The contractors brough it a potable loo on day one, even though their office was so close.Simple, cost effective, sensible for all concerned. maybe just a premium service, but clearly they though it worthwhile.
I had to have a contractor in recently, and i provided him with toilet facilities too. ..I gave him the key to my sister's holiday flat which is next door!

 

[Flowboy]

I never do a no. 2 on site, especially domestic. I have always been taught that is not on. Yet I have seen some persons using a sink for a cockle-doodle-doo (rhymes with!) There are some animals on site sometimes. No bladder control, just don't feel the need during the working day.

That is disgusting! TBH I try not to use domestic customers loo for a no2 but sometimes you just gotta go! Leave it as you would like to find it, i.e. clean.
In addition; no riddle all day? I'd say you're not drinking enough water! That said, younger lads usually have better prostates than old timers!

 

[Flowboy]

Funnily I was back working on a job today (doing bits & bobs) & this customer is one of the few I've come across in decades of domestic work, who insisted that we didn't use the wc.* There's never been more than 3 of us on site at any time, mostly 2. There isn't really room for a full portaloo & if it were on the street it'd likely be found upside down next day. The guy running the job arranged a portapotti in the garden shed. OK for a riddle but someone has to empty it, not such a nice job if no2s have been done. I assume he takes it home to do... *However... what's the bluddy matter with people?!? We all have to do it, what's so precious about their toilet? Do they think we all go home to live in filth?? I can understand if the garden is a quagmire you don't want muddy trades tramping thru the house, but a couple of tidy polite workers (I hope you are!) shouldn't be a problem for anyone.
I use my van for weekends away & have a portapotti in it, so its been handy now & then on a job but NO! YOU can't do a dump in it! ;-)

 

[Mike Johnson]

The definition of a commercial client on the HSE website is:

"A commercial client is any individual or organisation that carries out a construction project as part of a business."

So unless the construction project is being carried out as part of a business then the domestic client does not get defined as a commercial client just because they have an office space in their home.

Can't agree with that definition, if a domestic client is carrying out their business at home then by any definition that is a commercial enterprise.

 

[7029 dave]

Funnily I was back working on a job today (doing bits & bobs) & this customer is one of the few I've come across in decades of domestic work, who insisted that we didn't use the wc.* There's never been more than 3 of us on site at any time, mostly 2. There isn't really room for a full portaloo & if it were on the street it'd likely be found upside down next day. The guy running the job arranged a portapotti in the garden shed. OK for a riddle but someone has to empty it, not such a nice job if no2s have been done. I assume he takes it home to do... *However... what's the bluddy matter with people?!? We all have to do it, what's so precious about their toilet? Do they think we all go home to live in filth?? I can understand if the garden is a quagmire you don't want muddy trades tramping thru the house, but a couple of tidy polite workers (I hope you are!) shouldn't be a problem for anyone.
I use my van for weekends away & have a portapotti in it, so its been handy now & then on a job but NO! YOU can't do a dump in it! ;-)

I would have said sorry for being human. Just goes to show what type of people they are. As the song goes people are people!

 

[oscar21]

thought I would re-visit this one, yet again we turned up to a job and no toilet on site, it was an upstairs flat with no garden or anything outside. I wouldn't mind but the soil pipe was there, even the flexi but someone had ripped the toilet out and binned it. The joiners were peeing in bottles and taking it home with them, we were only there for 2 days but the first thing I did was pop to toolstation across the road and buy a basic toilet and fitted it, the I took it with me when we were done.

I might fit it in the back of the van, tank underneath and a flap to empty it when we are going quickly on the motorway like the trains do.

 

[UNG]

I might fit it in the back of the van, tank underneath and a flap to empty it when we are going quickly on the motorway like the trains do.

Trains haven't emptied toilets onto the track for many years

 

[nicebutdim]

Trains haven't emptied toilets onto the track for many years

That might explain why they often smell so terrible.

 

[pc1966]

That might explain why they often smell so terrible.

You may laugh, yes you probably will, but a friend of mine found the chemical toilet in her father's camper van had not been emptied for 6 years!

 

[James]

You may laugh, yes you probably will, but a friend of mine found the chemical toilet in her father's camper van had not been emptied for 6 years!

bet that had a serious festival toilet vibe!!!