Facilities and the work environment for temporary traffic management

What are workplace facilities?

Workplace facilities are the equipment and services provided at work for employees' welfare. They include, for example:

• toilets
• drinking water
• shelter
• personal storage
• seating
• dining facilities
• washing facilities.

Facilities need to be clean and hygienic and cleaned regularly. The cleaning schedule should take various factors into account. They include, for example, the work performed, the number of employees and the weather.

The Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 requires employers to provide facilities for employees. The facilities must be adequate for employees' health, safety and welfare.

As an employer, you must provide adequate facilities at any workplace you manage and control. This includes workplaces where temporary traffic management (TTM) takes place.

Not being able to access adequate facilities can be a physical health hazard for employees. It can also be:

• a psychological or psychosocial hazard
• discrimination
• another unlawful workplace situation.

You must consider all relevant laws and rules when deciding on adequate workplace facilities for your employees.

The duty to provide facilities is one of the main duties that employers have to employees. You must fulfil this duty so far as is reasonably practicable.

As an employer, you must also ensure appropriate systems of work are in place. Appropriate systems help ensure the working environment is safe and without risks to health. This could mean, for example, that:

• employees have breaks so they can use toilets
• toilets are within a reasonable distance of the work area
• night-shift employees have the same access to facilities as employees who work during the day
• the way to access facilities is safe.

You must consult with employees and any HSRs about workplace facilities and the work environment. Consultation will help ensure the facilities and work environment are adequate for employees' welfare.

Assess the workplace and facilities

Deciding what facilities are adequate for your workplace requires careful planning. You have to assess the workplace, your employees and their needs. Following is a list of issues to consider when assessing facilities for employees in TTM. This list is not complete and you might need to consider other issues. Make sure you consult with employees and any health and safety representatives (HSRs) when doing your assessment.

Issues to consider

There are various issues to consider when working out what facilities employees need. Issues to consider include, for example:

• the type and place of work
• workplace activities
• the facilities employees need to do their job
• work arrangements, such as shift times and the duration of shifts
• the characteristics of employees, such as gender, language, literacy or special needs
• employees' access to facilities, for example, distance from the workplace, lockable gates and fences and time-based restrictions
• the need for changerooms and personal storage
• lighting
• air temperature
• weather
• cleaning and maintenance.

Facilities need to be kept clean and in good repair. Broken or damaged infrastructure and fittings need to be repaired promptly.

Review your facilities and the working environment

You should regularly review your facilities for employees. Regular reviews will help ensure facilities are adequate for employees.

Review your facilities and working environment for TTM employees when:

• asked by an HSR
• there are changes to work practices, equipment or the workplace
• new employees and contractors start work
• introducing new systems of work
• new risks emerge
• there is a complaint about the facilities or the working environment
• there is an incident that affects the health, safety or welfare of employees.

Reviews should be part of your routine and take place regularly, at least every 12 months.

Reviews of facilities and the working environment will help ensure they continue to meet employees' needs. Consult with employees, contractors and HSRs when doing reviews.

Provide adequate facilities

A workplace is any place where employees or self-employed people work. TTM employees generally work away from the employer’s primary workplace. They work in other workplaces or are moving between workplaces.

As an employer, you must ensure employees have adequate facilities at any workplace under your management or control. You must fulfil this duty so far as is reasonably practicable.

Basic facilities for TTM include, for example:

• access to toilets
• drinking water
• dining facilities or hygienic storage for food and water
• protection from unsafe weather
• shelter and seating for taking breaks.

Temporary facilities can help you fulfil your duty to employees. Temporary facilities include, for example:

• portable toilets
• bottled water
• portable food storage such as car fridges or insulated lunch boxes
• shelter sheds, caravans, tents, windbreaks and shade canopies.

Work vehicles or public facilities may also provide access to short-term shelter or facilities.

Temporary facilities should be as close as practicable to where employees are working.

WorkSafe has compliance codes to help ensure you provide adequate facilities. See the compliance codes Workplace facilities and the work environment and Facilities in Construction.