Amenities required on greenfield developments and minor civil construction and maintenance sites


  • Document Type: Guidance Note
    Keycode: web only
    Industry: Construction 
    Category: Workplace Amenities and First Aid 
    Division Author: Construction & Utilities
    Publication Date: 06 June 2008
    Date First Published: 15 January 2002
    Summary: This guidance note provides advice on the provision and upkeep of amenities on suburban and regional sub-divisional work; construction or renewals of underground assets; and minor road construction and maintenance works. Advice on amenities for other civil construction sites outside the scope of this document is given in WorkSafe Victoria's Code of Practice for Building and Construction Workplaces.

Part 1: Provision of amenities
Under Victorian OHS legislation, a principal contractor must provide adequate and hygienic amenities for on-site workers, including sub-contractors. For the typical projects covered in this guidance note, this means providing and maintaining adequate toilet and washing facilities, shelter, storage and eating areas, and drinking water.

Facilities for meals, storage and shelter (e.g. site shed)
Facilities must be provided for shelter from extreme weather, for storage of personal effects and clothing, to hold site meetings, and to eat meals. Facilities should be accessible, but not interfere with operations on the site. A joint facility can be provided for one or more of the needs as long as the clear space is sufficient to seat the number of workers on site.

Floor area dimensions for the joint facility (excluding benches and sinks) should not be less than 4.65 square metres for up to four workers, and at least nine square metres for five or more workers.

Meal storage and shelter facilities should not be used for the storage of construction materials or equipment. Meal facilities should be cleaned daily and kept tidy.

The facility should include:

  • lined ceiling and walls and a washable impervious floor that is above ground level to prevent flooding,
  • adequate ventilation (natural or artificial) including window(s) with fitted fly screens,
  • adequate lighting (natural or artificial) for the required working hours,
  • a means of heating, and
  • exit doors that can be opened at all times from the inside.

Use of steel shipping containers as site amenity facilities is not preferred. If used, they must be furnished to meet all of the above requirements.

Meal areas should include:

  • sufficient tables and chairs for the number of workers,
  • facilities for boiling water,
  • separate vermin-proof containers for the hygienic storage of any provided food, tea, coffee or sugar, and
  • separate vermin-proof containers for the disposal of rubbish and scraps.

Drinking water
A readily accessible and plentiful supply of cool, clean and drinkable water must be available to all workers on the site. If an external hose bib-tap is the drinking water supply source, the surrounding area needs to be drained and kept clear of rubbish and site debris.

Where a mains water connection is not possible, drinking water may be provided in flasks, labelled water containers, waterbags or something similar. Drinking water facilities must be separated from toilet and washing facilities.

Toilets
Each site must have toilet facilities. The number of facilities should be consistent with the Code of Practice for Building and Construction Workplaces which requires: a minimum of one closet where less than six employees are on site; and a minimum of one closet and one urinal where six to 10 employees are on site.

Where toilets are not connected to a sewerage system, they must be self-contained, fresh water flushing, water seal portable toilets. They need to be regularly serviced in accordance with the supplier's information and instructions at least once a month. Recirculating flush and straight drop types are not acceptable. Toilets and hand-washing facilities should be cleaned daily and kept tidy.

To provide an acceptable standard of hygiene and privacy, toilets must be:

  • conveniently located and readily accessible to all on-site workers,
  • set up to remain level and stable under all working conditions,
  • soundly constructed with lined ceiling and walls which, for portable toilets, are durable and waterproof,
  • weatherproof,
  • well lit and ventilated (either naturally or artificially),
  • provided with a hinged seat and lid,
  • provided with a door which can be locked from the inside,
  • provided with a well-drained floor above ground level which is covered with a durable waterproof material,
  • provided with a plentiful supply of toilet paper, and
  • where appropriate, provided with regularly-serviced sanitary disposal units.

Washing facilities
Hand-washing facilities should be located within or near toilets and should also be provided for meal areas. Soap or cleaning agents and towels should be available at each washing facility.

Where a worker is required to change into protective clothing, the protective clothing and personal clothing should not be stored in the same location. Washing facilities should be suitable for employees to wash thoroughly before changing clothes.

Where there is a risk of contact with harmful substances, suitable facilities should be provided in accordance with the product’s Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). This may include items such as eye baths and drench showers.

Part 2: Provision of services to site facilities
When the relocatable site amenities (e.g. huts, sheds and caravans) are connected to electrical power or sewerage services the following requirements apply:

Provision of sewerage services
All connections to water or sewer distribution services must be carried out by a licensed plumber in accordance with the relevant service provider’s permit conditions.

Provision of electrical services
Electricity Safety Legislation requires all electrical installation work, including the connection, alteration, repair or maintenance on the relocatable site buildings to be carried out by a licensed electrician. This requirement does not apply to the connection of a building via an extension lead to a generator or socket-outlet where the socket-outlet, generator and extension lead comply with the AS/NZS 3000, AS/NZS 3012 and the Industry Standard for Electrical Installations on Construction Sites.

Internal wiring of relocatable site buildings
The internal wiring of all relocatable site buildings, including those supplied with power via an extension lead, must be undertaken by a licensed electrician and comply with the AS/NZS 3000, AS/NZS 3012 and the Industry Standard for Electrical Installations on Construction Sites.

Generator-supplied electricity
Portable generators not requiring an earth electrode should be used wherever reasonably practicable. Where a generator supplies portable tools and equipment, it should be fitted with a decal and displayed in a prominent position which clearly indicates whether the generator requires an earth stake.

Socket-outlet(s) fitted to portable generators used on a construction site must be protected by residual current devices (RCDs), including those supplying power to a relocatable site building via an extension lead. Generators must be capable of providing power to facilitate lighting, heating and boiling water at the same time.

The portable generator must be positioned so that any exhaust gases do not enter the relocatable site building.

Extension leads
Any extension leads used to supply power to any relocatable site building must be:

  • the heavy duty type,
  • the correct current rating for the inlet-socket,
  • the correct length for the flexible rating of the cord, and
  • installed so it does not run across the ground.
(See Appendix B of the Industry Standard for Electrical Installations on Construction Sites).

Gas Appliances

Gas appliances have not been covered in this solution guide as it is considered gas appliances for heating and boiling water should not be recommended for such small facilities. The safety issues of handling and carrying portable gas cylinders are eliminated if gas appliances are not used.


Acts and Regulations


Acts and regulations are available from Information Victoria on 1300 366 356 or order online at www.bookshop.vic.gov.au.

View the legislation at Victorian Law Today: www.legislation.vic.gov.au.


Standards Australia


Standards Australia

Advice on electrical installations and portable generator sets are given in appropriate Australian standards, including:

  • AS/NZS 3000 - Electrical installations (known as the AS/NZS Wiring Rules)
  • AS/NZS 3001 - Electrical Installations - Relocatable premises (including caravans and tents) and their site installations
  • AS/NZS 3012 - Electrical installations - Construction and demolition sites
  • AS 3010.1 - Electrical installations - Supply by generating set; Internal combustion engine driven sets (see the 1988 Amendment 1 with the same title)

Copies of standards can be purchased by contacting Standards Australia on 1300 654 646, or by visiting www.standards.com.au.

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