Welfare Facilities Are a Client Duty
- Paul Scanlon
- Jul 30
- 1 min read
Welfare facilities on your construction site are not just the contractor's responsibility to sort out.
Ensuring adequate welfare is a client duty under Regulation 4(4) of CDM 2015.
Before the construction phase begins, the client must ensure that suitable welfare facilities — toilets, washing facilities, rest areas, and facilities for changing and storing clothing — are provided for those working on the project.
In practice, most clients delegate the delivery of welfare to their Principal Contractor. That is entirely reasonable. But delegation is not the same as discharge. The client must take reasonable steps to verify that the arrangements proposed by the PC meet the requirements of Schedule 2 to CDM 2015.
If the PC provides inadequate welfare and the client has not taken reasonable steps to verify that arrangements meet the standard, the client shares exposure for the failure.
This matters particularly on fit-out projects in occupied buildings, where the welfare question is often overlooked. An assumption that the building's existing facilities will serve the workforce is not the same as a verified welfare plan.
HSE inspectors frequently cite welfare provision as one of the most visible indicators of a client's genuine engagement with CDM — or lack of it.
Before your next project starts on site, ask your PC to show you the welfare arrangements. Not just tell you they are sorted.
Get your free Client Guide to CDM 2015 here: cdm2015.co.uk/resource-download
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