Well not quite but...
https://www.miltonkeynes.co.uk/news/thi ... -1-8500135
A company is stopping its workers from taking breaks outside their scheduled breaks to get a drink of water. They are not allowed water at their place of work because of contamination. They work 12 hours shifts (they really need to ban those) and get two 30 minute breaks.
Workers are claiming its a health and safety issue.
What do you think? The provision under Workplace (HSW) Act is that your employer must provide 'wholesome drinking water' (I did work at a place that wanted to provide water from the tanks above the toilets - seriously ) but I don't believe it specify any sort option to get a drink when ever you want. Obviously in certain environments you need to drink more often, and had this been a bread factory I would say thats one such environment, but its meat packing and I dont know much about that. Is 6 hours too long a time? Though if they are getting two breaks, surely its only 4 hours if properly spaced out.
Water, Water everywhere, but not a drop to drink.
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Re: Water, Water everywhere, but not a drop to drink.
I think it is outrageous and blinking Dickensian. What is going on in the work place? Is the CEO of this factory Kim Jong-un?
Safety risk? Marginally perhaps - but it is a serious health risk as keeping hydrated is good for all but essential for some with chronic or acute illnesses. What about summer days?
What are they doing about toilet breaks? Restricting those to two in 12 hours too. Perhaps staff will have to fill in a log book (so to speak ) when they visit the loo. CCTV in the toilets to make sure someone does sneak a bottle of water in there? Ridiculous.
This may well originate due to some staff taking the Mickey a little and if so, this is no way to deal with it!
Whether this is a human right is not something I can answer. But try introducing this in a prison or immigration detention centre and see riots in the street!!
Safety risk? Marginally perhaps - but it is a serious health risk as keeping hydrated is good for all but essential for some with chronic or acute illnesses. What about summer days?
What are they doing about toilet breaks? Restricting those to two in 12 hours too. Perhaps staff will have to fill in a log book (so to speak ) when they visit the loo. CCTV in the toilets to make sure someone does sneak a bottle of water in there? Ridiculous.
This may well originate due to some staff taking the Mickey a little and if so, this is no way to deal with it!
Whether this is a human right is not something I can answer. But try introducing this in a prison or immigration detention centre and see riots in the street!!
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Re: Water, Water everywhere, but not a drop to drink.
I have been in a situation like this before and I raised potential heat exhaustion and dehydration as an issue to the work we were doing (working on an oil refinery site).
Canteen was deemed as the safe area to eat or drink - due to contamination issues - but was 500 metres away and was a clean are so no work clothes allowed.
Two solutions were accepted by management - small single use water bottles (100mls if I remember correctly) in a tented area- so the guys broke the seal - drank - then disposed of bottle. So no major issues.
The other solution was for the workforce to split during high temps with half going to canteen for a break then returning to work and allowing the others to have a break.
Key issue was that the work was being done and nobody was taking liberties with this system. They knew full well that the privilege would be withdrawn if they did.
Worked for us
Dave
Canteen was deemed as the safe area to eat or drink - due to contamination issues - but was 500 metres away and was a clean are so no work clothes allowed.
Two solutions were accepted by management - small single use water bottles (100mls if I remember correctly) in a tented area- so the guys broke the seal - drank - then disposed of bottle. So no major issues.
The other solution was for the workforce to split during high temps with half going to canteen for a break then returning to work and allowing the others to have a break.
Key issue was that the work was being done and nobody was taking liberties with this system. They knew full well that the privilege would be withdrawn if they did.
Worked for us
Dave
If you think safety is a pain, try a leg fracture.