Making hygiene a priority on construction sites again

It is therefore no coincidence that awareness campaigns are multiplying to make up for this significant delay, both in the good practices to adopt and in the equipment to deploy.

Because sanitary solutions - mobile and autonomous - exist to meet this major challenge. Relaxing French legislation that requires the connection of toilets for any construction site lasting more than three months could encourage their deployment, by providing more flexibility to construction companies.

An aspect too often neglected

Every employer has the obligation to equip temporary and mobile construction sites with adequate, clean sanitary facilities in quantities proportional to the number of workers. This is at least what is provided for in theitem R4228-1 of the French Labor Code.

However, the reality on the ground is somewhat different. And for good reason, according to a report published in 2023 by the National Health Insurance Fund (CNAM), 40% of construction sites that do not include proper hygiene facilities, 25% are without a shared base camp, connected or maintained daily, or 70% of individual house construction sites do not have a single toilet cubicle. Figures that place France at the back of the pack compared to its European neighbors. Among the good students, we find Germany and Italy, whose regulatory framework is much stricter than in France.

The need to implement health solutions in the territory is real. The major players are exemplary in this area, but what is the place of craftsmen or mid-sized companies on this subject? Repression is not the only means, but taking into account the hygiene and well-being of employees must be at the center of concerns.

To make up for this delay, awareness campaigns have recently multiplied. Thus, the Professional Organization for the Prevention of Building and Public Works (OPPBTP) joined forces in autumn 2023 with the National Federation of Distributors, Renters and Repairers (DLR) of construction and handling equipment. The objective? To shake things up on the subject of hygiene, which should be taken more seriously, particularly in the construction sector.

Hygiene, a real driver of performance

More than ever, with the events that marked the beginning of the decade, we have seen that the good health of the population requires meticulous hygiene. To guarantee the well-being and comfort necessary to respect the dignity of employees, the cleanliness of workplaces goes hand in hand with compliant sanitary practices and facilities. Of course, the construction industry is no exception.

The latter can certainly stand out by promoting better health conditions for its employees. On the one hand, because by offering its staff hygienic devices worthy of the name, companies limit the spread of diseases, and therefore work stoppages, thus promoting compliance with construction site deadlines, beyond optimizing the conditions in which employees operate.

On the other hand, the sufficient implementation of quality health facilities contributes - as part of a more global CSR strategy - to strengthening the economic performance of companies but also their employer brand, and thus attracting and retaining staff. When we know that the sector is facing a growing labor shortage and suffers from a relatively poor image, this aspect should not be neglected.

For their own reputation, but also for that of the construction industry as a whole, companies therefore have every interest in ensuring impeccable hygiene. And the good news is that it is not as difficult as it seems.

Adapted devices and services exist

Beyond the actions and practices to adopt - reducing contact between individuals and regularly cleaning your hands is enough to reduce the spread of viruses, microbes and bacteria that cause many infectious diseases - on the construction site, ensuring that sanitary equipment guarantees impeccable hygiene also appears to be an absolute necessity. Thus, sanitary equipment integrating a dispenser of cleaning, virucidal and bactericidal product, effective and respectful of the environment is strongly recommended. It is also advisable to ensure their daily maintenance (emptying, disinfecting the tank, restocking consumables, etc.): services generally offered by the suppliers of these solutions.

But it doesn't stop there. Hardware innovations, such as pedal-operated flushes, are designed to minimize manual contact. The use of "autonomous" solutions, without electrical or wastewater network connections, facilitate their deployment and movement, regardless of the accessibility of the site. This type of latest-generation "chemical" toilet, incorporating a clean water tank in addition to the effluent tank, optimizes water management and helps reduce the environmental impact.

At first glance, their name may suggest harmful effects and constitute an obstacle to compliance with CSR requirements, but most actually use almost 100% biodegradable disinfection products. Furthermore, for people with reduced mobility, similar solutions have been developed to guarantee them the same comfort. Finally, smaller cabins, allowing them to be placed on floors with simple emptying systems, are all innovations that help construction industry players to facilitate access to toilets.

From then on, construction companies would have the cards in hand to put France back on the front line in terms of hygiene on construction sites. By multiplying accessible, affordable devices, combined with adapted services, one and a half million current and future construction workers could see beneficial changes in their health and well-being. A boon for the attractiveness and economic performance of an entire sector.

Tribune by Bruno Diss, General Manager France at Sebach (LinkedIn).