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-12 // 12ft towable eco welfare unit
The flagship, and the fleet's towable. Once sited, level firm standing with the corner steadies deployed is the critical control; the towing hazards below apply whenever it moves and sit entirely with the Hirer while under tow. With six users in an open plan cabin, housekeeping matters: the drying room is for wet gear, not tools, and the entrance step collects site mud fastest of anything we run.
BOXD-16 // 16ft towable eco welfare unit + office
Towable like the 12ft, at approximately 1,950kg, so the towing controls below apply in full. Inside, the separate office and up-to-ten capacity mean it should be treated as a small occupied building in the Site fire plan: alarm audibility, escape route and extinguisher provision on the Site side are the Hirer’s call to make. The 280 litre toilet waste tank extends servicing intervals; it does not change the rule that only BOXD removes waste.
BOXD-20 // 20ft towable eco welfare unit + office
The largest unit of the fleet, and towable like the rest: the towing controls below apply whenever it moves. With up to twelve users plus an office, treat it as a small occupied building in the Site fire plan, and give particular attention to level, firm standing across its full length; at 20ft, a slope that a smaller unit tolerates becomes a problem. Full unit-specific documentation is issued with each hire.
Towing the units
Everything above applies once sited, plus the towing hazards, which sit entirely with the Hirer while the Unit is under tow:
HAZARD SUMMARY // ALL UNITS · 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.
For insurances, accreditations and our current risk assessment register, see our compliance page.
The legislation behind this page
For the legal framework in plain English: HSWA 1974 (the underlying duties), MHSWR 1999 (who must assess what), COSHH (chemicals and waste), PUWER (hired equipment in use) and carbon monoxide controls.
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.
