AN150011 – AWU/CFMEU Construction and Maintenance Award (South Australia) 1989
CLAUSE 26. AMENITIES
OPDATE 17:06:92 on and from
Suitable Alternative Facilities
(a) On mobile or short term work the requirements of this clause shall be satisfied where suitable alternative facilities such as public amenities are available for use by employees within reasonable proximity to the place of work.
Meal, Clothing and Shelter Facilities
Provision of facilities
(b)(i) At any work site the employer shall ensure that facilities are provided for shelter from inclement whether, changing, protection of clothing and eating of meals. Attention should be given at the planning stage to the location of facilities so as to ensure minimum disruption to the operations of the site.
(ii) These facilities shall not be used for storage of materials or for any purpose other than that described.
(iii) Enclosure for the facilities shall be of sound construction, weatherproof, and shall have:
(1) A floor above ground level, or be situated and constructed so as to prevent flooding;
(2) A lined ceiling and walls;
(3) Adequate ventilation and lighting;
(4) Sufficient windows fitted with fly screens; and
(5) Washable vinyl floors surfaces.
(iv) The facilities shall be of sufficient area to provide not less than 0.75 of a square metre of floor area, exclusive of benches with sinks and refrigerators, for each person working on the site at any one time and in no case shall be:
(1) Less than 4.65 square metres where there are four or less employees; or
(2) Less than 9 square metres where five or more employees are working at any one time and it appears that the work will take at least two weeks to complete; and
(3) Not less than 1.0 square metre for each person working on the site where more than twenty employees are working at any one time, and accommodation for eating of meals is not provided separately from accommodation for other purposes.
Clothing and Changing Facilities
(c)(i) The facilities shall include:
(1) Adequate secure facilities for hanging employees' clothing;
(2) Adequate facilities for drying clothes if requested by employees; and
(3) Changing facilities where the nature of the work performed requires the employee to change clothes.
(4) Separate changing facilities shall be mandatory where 15 or more employees are working at any time on the site. A clear space of not less than 0.5 of a square metre for each person changing clothes at any one time shall be allowed in calculating the size of the changing facility required. This space shall be in addition to that required for lockers or other facilities. Heating such as strip heaters shall be provided if requested by employees.
(5) Where both males and females are employed at the site and separate changing facilities are not provided, changing rooms with enclosures or compartments that can reasonably and with privacy be used by person of either sex shall be provided.
(6) A suitable bench or seat should also be provided to allow a person to sit when dressing or undressing.
(ii) Adequate secure facilities shall be provided to accommodate employees' personal belongings. These facilities shall be locked and supervised during working hours.
Dining Facilities
(d)(i) Adequate facilities for taking meals, including sufficient tables and chairs and facilities for warming food shall be provided.
(ii) Facilities shall also be provided for adequate supply of boiling water at meal times and rest periods.
(iii) Separate vermin proof containers shall be provided for the storage of food and rubbish.
Drinking Water
(e)(i) A supply of drinking water shall be available at the workplace. The water shall be cool, clean and drinkable. The facility shall be separate from sanitary and hand washing facilities.
(ii) Where a connection to a water supply is not possible, supply may be provided by other means such as flask, cooled drink dispenser or waterbag. The most appropriate method should be selected.
(iii) Drinking points shall be placed where they will service most people requiring them. The employer shall provide additional drinking points near hot or strenuous work stations, such as exposed from work decks.
(iv) Drinking water should be readily accessible to any employee working on the site.
Washing Facilities
(f)(i) Where there is a risk of contact with harmful substances, an immediately accessible eye bath shall be provided. Where the nature of the operation involves a risk that requires it, a drench shower shall be provided.
(ii) Mirrors should be provided and located in a position convenient to the employees using wash rooms.
(iii) Adequate personal drying facilities shall be supplied with hand washing facilities. Soap or cleaning agents shall be provided.
Showers
(g)(i) Principal contactors should consider providing showers on major sites where the nature of the work causes the workers to require a shower, such as where processes are particularly dusty or hazardous. The number of showers should be determined having regard to the number of workers involved in those work processes who require showers at any one time. Portable shower units should be provided to service areas remote from fixed facilities.
(ii) Soap, or a cleaning agent shall be provided with shower facilities. Any cleaning agent provided for employees should be or a type that will safely remove any unwanted substance with which an employee may come into contact. Industrial solvents or substances which may be injurious to health or well being shall not be provided for washing.
Sanitary Facilities
(h)(i)(1) The employer shall ensure that sanitary facilities are provided at each site.
(2) The facilities shall comprise closets, urinals, and where females are employed, sanitary disposal units.
(3) The facilities should be connected to a sewerage system.
(4) Where it is not practicable to connect the sanitary facilities to a sewerage system, flushing chemical toilets or an equivalent should be used, for example portable water seal toilets.
(5) The provision of pan type closets or straight drop toilets should be avoided.
(6) Closets should be soundly constructed, weatherproof and be provided with adequate lighting and ventilation.
(7) Each closet should be well drained and should have a floor constructed of, or covered with, a durable impervious material and situated at least 75 millimetres above the surround ground level.
(8) Each closet should be provided with lift seats and flaps, toilet paper and be a hinged door capable of being fastened from the inside when shut.
(9) Each closet and urinal should be washed with disinfectant at least daily and should generally be kept in a clean and tidy condition.
(10) Sanitary disposal units should be regularly serviced.
(ii) Sanitary facilities should be located so as to be conveniently accessible to employees working on the site, but not so close to the work location as to cause a nuisance to those employees.
(iii) The number of closets and urinals to be provided should be in accordance with the following scale:
Employees |
No. of Closets |
No. of Urinals |
1 - 5 |
1 |
Nil |
6 - 10 |
1 |
1 |
11 - 20 |
2 2 |
|
21 - 35 |
3 |
4 |
36 - 50 |
4 |
6 |
51 - 75 |
5 |
7 |
76 -100 |
6 |
8 |
Note: For the purpose of this formula a closet can be substituted in place of a urinal.
(iv) Where more than 100 but not more than 200 persons are employed on the site at any one time, the number of closets and urinals required to be provided for each additional 20 persons, is one additional closet and one additional urinal; and
(v) Where more than 200 persons are employed on the site at any one time, the number of closets and urinals required to be provided, is one additional closet and one additional urinal for each 35 additional persons.
(vi) Where a slab urinal is provided, each 600 millimetres can be regarded as one urinal.
(vii) (1) Where both males and females are employed at the site and the total number of employees exceeds ten, separate sanitary facilities should be provided. In the case of toilets for female use, the allocation of urinals should be replaced by closets and at least one in three closets should be provided with a sanitary disposal unit.
(2) Where both males and females are employed at a site and the total number of employees does not exceed ten, there may be a facility for use by males and females provided that:
The closet can be reasonably and with privacy be used by persons of either sex; and
The closet contains a sanitary disposal unit. Other Facilities (i)(i) Where the employee is required to change clothes and wear special protective clothing to work with toxic or dangerous substances, an appropriate facility for decontamination, separate from other sanitary and washing accommodation, should be provided. In these cases change room facilities should be duplicated, and storage provided for protective clothing in one room and for personal clothing in the other. Protective clothing and personal clothing should not come into contact with each other or be stored in the same facilities. Protective clothing and work clothing which has become wet by the process of decontamination should be stored in a separate, well ventilated area.
Cleanliness
(j)(i) The employer shall ensure that the workplace is maintained in a clean condition.
(ii) Regular cleaning shall be undertaken to ensure that:
(1) Refuse and waste is removed at least daily from floors, stairways and passageways;
(2) The floors of dining rooms and dining areas are cleaned daily and washed and disinfected at least once a week, and dining tables are wiped down after each meal period;
(3) Change rooms are cleaned at least once each day and washed down and disinfected at least once a week; and
(4) Any showers, sanitary and washing accommodation are sanitised each day they are used.
