Published October 2023

It is important, regardless to the working environment, that access to suitable and sufficient welfare is provided. When working from structures, such as office, laboratories, etc., welfare facilities form part of the structure itself and are required to comply with the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, but in the field special arrangements are required to install, service and when required, remove temporary welfare provisions.

The requirement for construction projects to provide welfare suitable for those working on the projects, is specified within the Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM) Schedule 2. This will typically include ground investigations for proposed construction works, but exclude desk studies and site surveys i.e., taking levels, making measurements, site walkovers, gas monitoring and visually examining structures for faults (i.e. non-intrusive surveys), unless part of a larger scope of works which is defined as construction.

Those works which fall outside of this scope fall under the requirements of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, where it is applicable. The welfare requirements within these regulations aligns to those detailed within CDM, so for the purpose of this guidance it shall only reference these requirements which will be applicable across all field based geotechnical and geoenvironmental activities.