Более 60% женщин в строительстве ограничивают потребление воды из-за отсутствия чистых туалетов на объектах

A survey of more than 600 construction workers has exposed widespread problems with access to clean, safe and properly maintained site toilets. More than six in 10 women working in construction have avoided drinking to reduce their need to use site toilets, research has found. The finding came from a survey of 633 construction workers carried out for Release the Bogs, a campaign seeking to improve welfare facilities on UK construction sites. Construction professional and campaigner Katy Robinson led the research, which found that 61.4 per cent of women and 34.9 per cent of men had restricted their drinking. The study also found that 10.1 per cent of women and 8.8 per cent of men had considered leaving construction because of inadequate toilet and welfare conditions. More than seven in 10 respondents had left sites to find alternative facilities because onsite provision was inadequate. The figure was 75.8 per cent among men and 72.5 per cent among women. Robinson said: “It’s something I have dealt with during my job in construction sites throughout my career. “Speaking to people on the site, they always bring up the issue that toilets are available but the facilities are bad.” The research found that only 39.5 per cent of women and 39.3 per cent of men said toilets always had functioning locks. More than a third of men, 36.2 per cent, said they had used women’s toilets instead. Respondents cited cleanliness, privacy, safety and comfort among the reasons for doing so. The report also found that only 34.6 per cent of respondents said sanitary disposal facilities were provided in women’s toilets. Health and Safety Executive guidance states that toilets used by women on construction sites must include suitable sanitary-waste disposal facilities. The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 require suitable and sufficient toilets to be provided at readily accessible locations. Where more than one contractor is working on a project, the principal contractor is responsible for providing and maintaining suitable welfare facilities. The client must also ensure arrangements are in place to allow adequate welfare provision. Robinson said: “Contractors are not meeting minimum standards – and standards are not high enough anyway. “It’s frustrating as there’s such a simple solution – provide site toilets, ensure they are cleaned and maintained and have sufficient consumables and provisions in place.” The study found that women reported greater problems accessing facilities than men. About 10.5 per cent of women said toilets were never available when needed, compared with no men in the survey. Only 8.9 per cent of women said toilets were always available, compared with 60.5 per cent of men. The report said the findings suggested women experienced more restricted or inconsistent access to site toilets. Robinson said poor welfare provision risked worsening construction’s existing skills shortage. She said: “The research has found links between workers leaving sites to find alternative work which, considering the industry is facing a massive skills shortage, is a huge concern.” Participants were recruited through LinkedIn, Instagram and construction-related social media groups. The report acknowledged that this could create sampling bias by over-representing office-based and management-level workers. Release the Bogs is campaigning for improved toilet and welfare facilities across UK construction sites. Source: Release the Bogs press release and report via email