VERSION 1.0 // JULY 2026
Every BOXD hire comes with generic risk assessment information and user instructions for the Unit supplied, issued at handover and available any time from hire@boxdhire.co.uk. This page summarises the principal hazards and controls for each unit type so you can build them into your own site risk assessments before the Unit arrives.
Read this first: these are generic assessments of the Unit and its systems. They do not assess your site. Site-specific risk assessment remains the Hirer’s legal responsibility under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and, on construction sites, CDM 2015. That means you still assess siting, access routes, ground conditions, fire arrangements and how the Unit interacts with everything else happening on your site. Our
CDM 2015 guide covers the welfare duties themselves.
Hazards common to all units
All four unit types share the same core systems: composite panel shell, generator power with Ecosmart management, onboard water, sealed waste and a chemical toilet. The following applies to every hire.
HAZARD SUMMARY // ALL UNITS · COMMON HAZARDS & CONTROLS
Delivery & HIAB lift
Exclusion zone maintained during the lift; no one under or near a suspended Unit. Ground bearing, standing room and overhead services checked before the wagon lifts. Operator has final say on whether a lift is safe.
Generator & exhaust
Generator exhausts to open air; vents and exhaust must never be obstructed or enclosed. Units are for siting outdoors only. Ecosmart management limits run time; do not tamper with settings.
Refuelling & fuel
Engine off and cooled before refuelling. No smoking or ignition sources. Only the fuel specified in the handover information. Spills contained and reported; fuel stored on Site is the Hirer’s responsibility.
Electrical
Internal circuits are protected; no user modification, no external connections, no trailing leads through doors or windows. Faults reported immediately and the affected system taken out of use.
Toilet chemicals & waste
Sanitary fluids are dosed and replenished by BOXD at servicing; safety data sheets available on request. Waste is held in a sealed tank and removed only by BOXD. Nothing other than intended sanitary waste into the system. Wash hands after use; hot water hand wash provided in the Unit.
Slips, trips & access
Entrance step kept clear and used facing the Unit. Area around the door kept free of materials, trailing cables and mud build-up so far as reasonably practicable. Internal floors are easy-clean; spills wiped promptly.
Fire
No smoking inside any Unit. Combustible materials kept clear of the Unit and generator area. The Unit must be included in the Site’s fire plan and emergency arrangements.
Manual handling & moving
Units must not be pushed, dragged, lifted or repositioned by the Hirer. Static Units are moved only by BOXD. Report any need to relocate and we will do it properly.
Security & misuse
Doors are security deadlocked; lock the Unit whenever the Site is unattended. The Unit is welfare accommodation, not storage for plant, fuel or materials, and never sleeping accommodation.
Unit-specific notes
BOXD-6 // 6ft eco welfare unit
The compact footprint is the point, and the risk to manage: the 6ft unit often goes where space is tightest, so give particular attention to the exclusion zone during the HIAB lift in confined areas, and keep the door swing and step clear of stored materials once sited. Capacity is 3 persons; do not crowd it beyond that.
BOXD-12 // 12ft eco welfare unit
The standard unit. The larger footprint needs a correspondingly larger, level standing area with adequate ground bearing, checked before delivery day. With up to 7 users, housekeeping matters more: the drying area is for wet gear, not tools and materials, and the entrance area collects site mud fastest of any unit we run. Keep it down.
BOXD-16 // 16ft eco welfare unit
The heaviest static unit in the fleet, approaching 3,500kg. Ground bearing and HIAB standing distance are the critical delivery checks; soft or made-up ground needs to be flagged at enquiry stage, not on the morning of the lift. With up to 10 users and an office space, treat it as a small occupied building in your fire plan: alarm audibility, escape route and extinguisher provision on the Site side are the Hirer’s call to make.
BOXD-TOW // towable welfare unit
Everything above applies once sited, plus the towing hazards, which sit entirely with the Hirer while the Unit is under tow:
HAZARD SUMMARY // BOXD-TOW · TOWING HAZARDS & CONTROLS
Towing & licence
Towing vehicle and driver entitlement must be lawful for the Unit’s weight (under 3,500kg). Hitch security, breakaway connection, lights and tyre condition checked before every movement, using the pre-tow checklist in the handover pack.
Coupling & uncoupling
Couple and uncouple on firm, level ground only. Corner steadies deployed before use; raised fully before towing. Never move the Unit with anyone inside or with systems running.
In transit
Drive to the conditions and to trailer speed limits. The Unit is the Hirer’s responsibility while under tow, including securing doors and hatches before moving off.
What we need from you
- Induct every user on the Unit’s handover information before first use
- Include the Unit in your site risk assessment, fire plan and emergency arrangements
- Report faults, damage or anything that looks wrong immediately, and take the affected system out of use until we confirm otherwise
- Keep access clear for scheduled servicing; a serviced unit is a safe unit
Full documentation for any unit, including safety data sheets for sanitary fluids, is available by emailing hire@boxdhire.co.uk. If something on your site makes any of the above hard to comply with, tell us before delivery and we will work the problem with you rather than around you.
