Adhering to sanitary practices at the construction site is encouraged to protect the health and safety of your team, especially in the ongoing pandemic era. You also want to prioritize sanitation to avoid fines and the possibility of the site being shut down due to violations.
As a construction site manager, you are tasked with the responsibility of ensuring that your site meets the sanitary standards required by OSHA. The main topics of concern in this area include how many toilets per person on a construction site, providing access to decontamination units, and the location of these mobile units in relation to where the work is happening.
Keep reading for construction site sanitation basics. Also, learn more about how we can help you get set up properly to start the construction project with the confidence that you are protecting your crew and meeting OSHA requirements.
OSHA Guidelines For the Construction Site
In general, construction safety protocols are continuously reviewed by governing bodies to ensure that the latest needs are met for construction workers. Make sure you stay on top of the requirements by regularly checking the OSHA website to see if additional requirements have been introduced, especially as it relates to the pandemic.
OSHA Requirements for Portable Toilets at the Construction Site
Currently, the safety and health regulations for portable toilets at the constructions site are based on the following schedule:
- 1 toilet for 20 or fewer workers.
- 1 toilet seat and 1 urinal per 40 workers when the team has 20 or more workers.
- 1 toilet seat and 1 urinal per 50 workers when the team has 200 or more workers.
- Each toilet must include access to cold and hot water, soap, and a drying method.
OSHA Requirements for Additional Health and Safety Units
There are additional OSHA guidelines related to the provision of showers, handwashing units, eyewash stations, and related decontamination resources. If the nature of your project falls under an OSHA standard (e.g. handling hazardous waste), then construction managers should provide units on the following schedule:
- At least 1 shower for every 10 employees of each gender.
- Body soap, hot and cold water, and clean towels must be provided for each shower.
- A private place for employees to change clothes.
- Specified and safe places that are not exposed to toxins for employees to consume food and beverages.
- Washing facilities for employees when handling paint, coating, chemicals, or any other substances that may cause bodily harm.
- Portable restrooms and other washing facilities must be in close vicinity to the job site or adequate transportation to them must be provided.
- If sleeping accommodations are provided, they must be lit, heated, and ventilated.
We recognize that a construction site is a fluid environment where crews come and go, contractors are introduced at different stages, and the primary project work moves from location to location within the job site. This is why we recommend remaining vigilant and proactive to continuously review whether you are meeting OSHA requirements during each phase of the project work.
You also want to be aware of where each unit is placed at the construction site so that the units do not interfere with the work being done. We can help you find the critical balance of accessibility and non-interference when providing units at your job site.
We Can Help You Meet Construction Site Safety Requirements
At Texas Outhouse, we offer a wide selection of construction portable toilets that are available for rent:
- Standard portable toilets
- Deluxe portable toilets (with flushable toilets and hands-free foot pumps)
- Women’s portable toilets
- Caged lift-eye cans
- Lift-eye cans without the cage
- Elevator toilet half-cans
- Wheelchair accessible portable toilets
- ADA compliant portable toilets
- Multi-stall restroom trailers
We support your rental by continuously servicing the portable toilets throughout the duration of the project. This is critical to meet the OSHA requirements for providing access to sanitary portable toilets. It’s not enough to simply have portable toilets at the job site. Each unit must be sanitary to meet the OSHA requirement of “adequate and readily accessible facilities.”
A toilet is deemed unusable — or not available — if it is not adequately sanitized and cleaned for use. Each unit that is deemed unusable will not count toward your provision of toilets according to the OSHA schedule. This could expose your company to the risk of a fine or temporary shutdown until adequate toilets are provided.
Our 25+ years of providing sanitary solutions for construction jobs has helped our team develop the expertise required to help keep your site within OSHA guidelines. We will ensure that you have an adequate number of toilets on-site, that each unit is cleaned and sanitized to satisfy an OSHA inquiry, and that each unit is placed in the appropriate location.
Consider Our Additional Sanitary Solutions
We also recommend incorporating additional sanitary units to protect the health of your workers and meet OSHA requirements depending on the nature of the project work.
We specifically recommend our eyewash stations and emergency showers for hazardous construction environments. Our units provide on-the-spot decontamination that complies with OSHA and ANSI Standards. We will rent, deliver, and refill each unit that you rent for as long as you need them.
Contact Texas Outhouse To Rent Portable Toilets & Related Units
Meeting safety and sanitation requirements is a critical part of a construction site manager’s job. Not only does this effort support the health of your workers, but it will also help you stay on-schedule and meet project timelines by reducing the likelihood of delays or shutdowns.
Texas Outhouse will ensure that you have everything you need to meet OSHA standards so that you can manage the construction site with confidence.
Call 713-785-8050 today to discuss your project. We’ll make sure you have the appropriate number of toilets per person on the construction site. Let’s also discuss incorporating additional units into your rental to support the ongoing health and safety needs of your workers.
You can also contact us through our website or email [email protected] to get started. We look forward to helping you!