Canteen facilities

JK04

Ok I'll try make this as simple as I can

I work for a large Security company, other companies and businesses contract security guards from the company to work on their site. So basically there are 6 of us working at this one place for the past few years, its 24 hour security, 8 hour shifts, 1 security guard working per shift.

We don't get a break as such, but we are allowed to have lunch in our security office while we work which we don't have a problem with. The office is outside at the main gate, the only canteen facilities are inside in the main plant.

Now here's the problem, in the last few days they stopped allowing people take mugs of tea/coffee outside for health and safety reasons which everyone has been doing for years.

We were supplied with a kettle which is basically just sitting on the window sill as its the only free bit of space in the place, no mugs, tea bags, milk or even water is out here to make tea or whatever.

So basically we're going in to the canteen for a break which means nobody can get in or out of the site because there is nobody there to open barriers and so on.

Are we within our rights to do this?

If everything was supplied out to us we would have no problem in staying out there for lunch.
Are the company we work for responsible for somewhere we can have lunch, or the company we are contracted out to or are we responsible for getting all that stuff ourselves?
Any other site i have worked on had a kitchen in the security office, sink, kettle, microwave, presses, plates, mugs, knives and forks.

Bare in mind all this started because of health and safety and yet we are left with a kettle that could be full of boiling water sitting on a window sill where ourselves, other contractors and visitors walk in by to sign in, it could easily fall and scald someone.

Any input is greatly appreciated.

wmpdd3

I dont know but i've worked in plenty of shops that didnt even have a kettle. Let alone a canteen, you brought your flask and lunchbox and ate lunch on a bench down the road. All you can do is ask your employer or the hr section of the company for a solution.

Outkast_IRE

just from working on different sites etc, ya its a balls when a situation like this happens but surely a little mini fridge could be purchased to sort this ?
Failing that , theres been many sites where lads would have to bring some teabags and s small milk etc with them as part of their lunch every day.

Irish_Elect_Eng

" they stopped allowing people take mugs of tea/coffee outside for health and safety reasons"

Ok, I have seen this done in several companies, the reasons has usually been the same.
If employees bring cups of tea or coffee outside the canteen some spills are inevitable, presenting a slip hazard.

There is a simple solution to this, implemented in two of the companies that I worked in:

"Use Un-Spillable Travel Mugs"

The best way to play this out is to bring this to the attention of the H&S officer, presenting both the problem, and a solution , at the same time.

Unless they are very unreasonable they will want to eliminate the new hazard in the security office and should welcome your solution.

Good Luck.

whymeagain

i work in a workshop/factory the canteen is portacabin it is also used as a changing room there is no handles on the door or windows. we have cats visiting most nights the place is a disaster i got in contact with health and safety but no joy the brown envelope must be on the go again.. most of the lads eat in their cars