As an employer you must protect the safety and health of everyone in your workplace, including people with disabilities, and provide welfare facilities for your employees.
Facilities include toilets, including amenities for disabled employees and visitors, an area to wash, and clean drinking water. You will also need to consider lighting, ventilation and temperature for your employees in their working environment.
The duty of care that you have towards your employees includes the legal right to meet minimum standards for facilities in the workplace.
Welfare facilities
For your employees’ well-being you need to provide:
- toilets and hand basins, with soap and towels or a hand-dryer
- drinking water
- a place to store clothing (and somewhere to change if special clothing is worn for work)
Health issues
To have a healthy working environment, you must make sure there is:
- good ventilation – a supply of fresh, clean air drawn from outside or a ventilation system
- a reasonable working temperature (usually at least 16°C, or 13°C for strenuous work (unless other laws require lower temperatures)
- lighting suitable for the work being carried out
- enough room space and suitable workstations and seating
- a clean workplace with appropriate waste containers
Safety issues
To keep your workplace safe you must:
- properly maintain your premises and work equipment
- keep floors and traffic routes free from obstruction
- have windows that can be opened and also cleaned safely
- make sure that any transparent (eg glass) doors or walls are protected or made of safety material
Further reading
For more information read the guide on access and facilities for disabled people.
Source: nibusinessinfo.co.uk
