Welfare units are a staple on a number of work sites, including construction sites, car parks, and sports and music event grounds. They provide a safe, weather-proof place for workers to take breaks and offer a secure place to store personal belongings away from the public. But how else can they improve the safety and wellbeing of workers?
So, today we’re helping you understand more about the importance of welfare units for workers’ safety and exploring their benefits to physical and mental health. We will also be exploring how you can implement welfare units into your worksite with the help of Flintham Cabins. We have decades of experience in the industry, providing our high-quality site cabins to a range of different businesses from an extensive list of sectors, so you can be confident that we’ll give you what you need.
What Are Welfare Units?
Welfare unit is a broad term for a temporary cabin used on worksites that provide workers with shelter. This space offers a place to take breaks, use the toilet and washroom, store personal belongings, and complete admin work, amongst other things. They are found on many different worksites, including:
- Construction sites
- Festival grounds
- Sports event grounds
- Railworks
Almost every site cabin or welfare unit is different, offering facilities depending on which type you choose. For example, some provide kitchen facilities, toilets, office equipment, electricity, heating, and more. At the same time, some are very basic and just provide a weather-proof hut.
Do Welfare Units Improve the Safety and Wellbeing of Workers?
In short, yes. Welfare units have been proven to improve workers’ safety and wellbeing for various reasons. Whether they’re improving their mental or physical health, mobile welfare units are guaranteed to assist workers while on the job; let’s discover how.
Providing a Place to Take Breaks
Taking a break is a legal requirement. No matter their field, workers are legally entitled to a 20-minute break during a six-hour shift. The break should be uninterrupted and taken during working time, not at the beginning or end of the working day.
A welfare unit provides workers with a dry, secure space away from the hustle and bustle of their work environment where they can take their break in peace. During this time, workers may use the cabin’s facilities to make food, sit down and rest if they have been on their feet a lot, or use the washroom to clean themselves up. Welfare units provide the facilities for all of these options.
Offer a Secure Place to Store Personal Belongings
Another fantastic benefit of welfare units is that they offer a secure place to store belongings during working hours. For example, our site cabins for hire can be locked, meaning only the key holder, presumably, the site manager, can access the contents. Additionally, for extra security, or if the unit needs to be accessed throughout the day by multiple people, consider implementing lockers inside. This is a great way to offer workers a personal space to store keys, wallets, jewellery, and other valuable items they cannot keep on their person while working.
Secure lockable space gives workers peace of mind that their personal items are locked away and protected while busy working, helping them relax and focus on their job.
Gives a Place to Wash and Use the Toilet
Cleanliness and good hygiene should be encouraged in all workplace environments, especially construction sites. In these environments, cleanliness is key; if you have any cuts or wounds on exposed skin and brick dust, cement, or another substance gets inside, it could become infected. Welfare units are great as they provide a space for washing and keeping hygienic and attending to first aid.
In addition, the employer’s legal responsibility is to provide their employees with enough toilets for the number of people expected to use them. Various site cabins have toilet facilities as part of them, but we also offer portable toilet cabins if you need additional facilities for larger crews.
Welfare Units Are a Great Space to Complete Admin Work in Peace
All workplace environments will require admin. Whether you work on a festival ground, in a car park, or at a construction site, you may be required to fill out forms such as risk assessments, first aid logs, check-ins and check-outs, for example. You can add office furniture and equipment such as a desk, chair, computer, and filing cabinet to provide yourself with the space you need to complete any admin in peace and away from where papers could become lost or damaged.
Welfare Units and Security Huts at Flintham Cabins
Here at Flintham Cabins, we offer a wide range of different site accommodation for hire, so you can get what you need for your workplace to help improve the safety and wellbeing of your employees.
Whether you work on a construction site and need somewhere to provide employees with a safe and dry place to rest during breaks, or your festival ground needs a quiet place to file first aid logs, we have you covered. Explore our mobile welfare unit hire options today, or feel free to contact our friendly and knowledgeable team to discuss your options and get our expert opinion on the best choice for your business.