Employees have requested water be available to them in their work area. There is a cafeteria close by that has water. Is this enough? Also, can we install drinking fountains or allow water bottles?

OSHA requires that potable drinking water be provided in all places of employment under 1910.141(b). If the water in a cafeteria is potable, you have fulfilled this requirement as OSHA does not specify where the potable water must be provided in relation to production areas or processes.

If an employer chooses to provide an additional source of potable water, OSHA requires under 1910.141(b)(1)(iii) that, “portable drinking water dispensers shall be designed, constructed, and serviced so that sanitary conditions are maintained, shall be capable of being closed, and shall be equipped with a tap.” While a water fountain is not strictly prohibited per the standard (as it is not “portable”), an employer may have difficulty maintaining sanitary conditions given the environmental conditions (e.g., dust) of certain work environments. On the other hand, a portable dispenser such as a cooler (equipped with a tap) would allow an employer to easily provide an additional potable water source to workers in a specific work area. Keep in mind that the cooler would have to be routinely cleaned to maintain sanitary conditions.

In addition, there is no prohibition against the use of water bottles, but each worker must have their own individual bottle as OSHA prohibits the use of a “common drinking cup or other common utensils” under 1910.141(b)(1)(v). This would also apply to the dispensing of water from a cooler as mentioned above.