How clean do you like the restroom to be when you have to go? I ask this question because so many times we see job sites where management has access to a trailer with indoor bathrooms that are cleaned regularly, have flushing toilets and a running water to wash up after. But the rest of the employees, are only provided portable toilets.
OSHA has specific requirements that may make this unacceptable. According to OSHA’s Sanitation Standard (29 CFR 1926.51) toilets shall be provided for employees according to the following table:
| Number of employees | Minimum number of facilities |
| 20 or less | 1 |
| 20 or more | 1 toilet seat and 1 urinal per 40 workers. |
| 200 or more | 1 toilet seat and 1 urinal per 50 workers. |
OSHA does not specify how often toilets need to be cleaned, but it is expected that they will remain in a sanitary condition. It is important for compliance and moral to ensure toilets are serviced so that they are clean for employees to want to use them. You also need to look at the placement of the portable toilets. How far does an employee have to go to use the toilet? If people are working on the 4th floor and the closest facility is 50 yards or more from the building, you’re looking at 15+ minutes for a person to use the toilet. Obviously, we don’t want them in the buildings, especially after dry-in, but they need to be easily accessible.
Another thing that is often missing from job sites is a place to thoroughly wash hands. OSHA actually requires this too! While hand sanitizer kills germs on a person’s hands, they do not remove the gross contamination and possible bacteria that requires soap and warm water to be removed.
The standard requires that each lavatory shall be provided with hot and cold running water, or tepid running water as well as hand soap or similar cleansing agents. Individual hand towels, cloth or paper, air blowers or clean individual sections of continuous cloth toweling must also be provided.
Many worry that the handwashing facilities will freeze in the winter or ask how to make “tepid” water. All it requires is a fish aquarium heater and an extension cord. In the spring and summer, if the lavatory and toilets are kept in a shaded area, the water will be fine.
So, all of this boils down to a couple of main points.
- Make sure you have enough toilets and they are conveniently located. This improves productivity as well.
- Get handwashing (lavatories) and keep them in good working condition.
- Conduct regular check-ins on the toilets to ensure they remain sanitary.
- Are they properly serviced?
- Are they property stocked with paper?
- Keep extra supplies in the office in case they are needed between cleanings or increase number of servicing trips.
- Does the hand sanitizer dispenser work and does it have anything in it?
CMI has a full contingent of health, safety, and environmental professionals to help with all of your safety concerns.
