Can you use a caravan to help with CDM 2015 regulations

[CalvinHobbes]

The builder has a portaloo in his van and says it can be the site office. Can it? I was thinking of using a caravan. Is that acceptable?

[nod]

You should have a separate loo on site 

But there’s nothing to say you need to have a site office 

On this and our last build we erected a simple garden shed for drawings and bits and bought a porta loo 

 

[Bonner]

If he is there everyday then fine, otherwise get a non-mobile portaloo. Caravan toilets tend to be too small, you might end up with various corners of site or even the house used as a convenience 💩 I have seen it on top of scaffolding 

[nod]

I recently did the render on a massive self build home 

The lady provided a very large caravan to double as a office - brew cabin With a loo in there Far to good for a building site After a few weeks it became a tool store and very large smelly loo 💩 

[ProDave]

Yes a cheap old touring caravan will give you a chemical loo, a sink, a heater if you are lucky and somewhere to sit.  

[Conor]

You need proper hanswashing facilities and a place for people sit and eat etc. We had portaloo and a separate caravan that was the office.

 

The main thing is lots of signage and documentation. Need to write down who is designer, contractor and client. And a H&S plan, emergency procedures etc. 

[Russell griffiths]

Better off with a 10x8 shed, kettle, toaster, and a table to lay out drawings. 

[Kelvin]

My garage will be an insulated steel building and the first thing going up so will use that as the office initially. The house is a timber kit and will be up and weather tight quickly so will transfer to that. 

[CalvinHobbes]

Are you allowed to send workers to nearby petrol station (2 doors away) I asked the guy in charge of it he said it was fine.....or is that silly?

[ProDave]

55 minutes ago, CalvinHobbes said:

Are you allowed to send workers to nearby petrol station (2 doors away) I asked the guy in charge of it he said it was fine.....or is that silly?

When our build first started, the drainage system was not installed so the toilet in the static 'van could not be used.  Instead I offered the builders the use of the toilet at our house 2 doors down the road.  I think that offer was only taken once.  They just went behind one of the trees when they needed a pee.

 

Perhaps it is a Scottish thing, I have worked on several new builds where one has to "make their own arrangements"  I have been know to take a travel John with me.

[saveasteading]

14 hours ago, CalvinHobbes said:

The builder has a portaloo in his van and says it can be the site office. Can it?

Well, it is much better than nothing.

Not having that, they use  the ground or disappear to cafes, garages and pubs.

 

The  rules are common sense and civility really.

Think of yourself as the contractor and allow for their safety and comfort within reason.

 

If he is the only contractor then you can offload the responsibility to him to some extent.

But what if the van is away collecting materials?

 

As to safety, what would be the plan if workers got soaked? could they dry off?

And very importantly what if someone was injured? where would the first aid kit and treatment space be?

And if someone is covered in concrete they must be able to wash it off thoroughly and quickly.

 

If there isn't  a comfortable space to rest, or a decent toilet, then they will disappear to somewhere more pleasant, and you will lose some time.

 

Can we get away with inferior facilities. Usually: depends on the workers.

Should you? No.

Will I get in trouble? Yes if there is an incident or complaint.

 

3 hours ago, ProDave said:

I offered the builders the use of the toilet at our house 2 doors down the road.

 

 Even using existing facilities on site (or next door or down the road at the garage) can be dubious. A safety inspection often includes the inspector asking the workers (not a boss) where they go for toilet, hand-washing etc. 

If they can't take the inspector to it, and get access, then there are issues.

If it involves taking boots and coats off and traversing a beige carpet to an immaculate toilet, you aren't believed. But if there is a utility wc, more likely.

 

The chance of a visit is very low, but these are the principles, and I would follow them as good practice and civility.

[Kelvin]

I’ve visited several self-build sites mid-build. I’ve ‘looked around’  several others and while all had portaloos none had any kind of ready room as far as I could see. There were a couple of random dodgy looking cheap sheds. 

[saveasteading]

If there is drainage on site or you put it in early, it is worth looking at a loo that can discharge to it. saves a lot of emptying.

We once bought a saniflo to get to a more distant drain.

 

Or when the roof is on, knock up a room around a future toilet. A wc only costs about £60

[CalvinHobbes]

1 hour ago, saveasteading said:

If there is drainage on site or you put it in early, it is worth looking at a loo that can discharge to it. saves a lot of emptying.

We once bought a saniflo to get to a more distant drain.

 

Or when the roof is on, knock up a room around a future toilet. A wc only costs about £60

Thanks visited another site today and the foreman said he detested portaloos and suggested we get a garden shed and stick a loo and a sink in it. So yep - deffo preferable. Our water supply is handy enough as is the sewer. I think together with a caravan as somewhere for them to have a break/site office, that would do it. Will get on to it.

Thanks all for the advice.