Renting portable toilets for your construction site is an important step in improving the comfort and efficiency of your workers. But you’ll also need to be sure that your toilets comply with OSHA rules. With proper planning, you can ensure that your site maintains hygienic conditions and meets regulatory requirements. Here’s everything you need to know before renting portable toilets for your construction site.
Six Things to Consider Before Renting Portable Toilets
1: How Many You’ll Need
One of the most important factors to consider is how many toilets you’ll need. The general rule of thumb is to have at least one porta-potty per 10 workers for a 40-hour work week. However, longer hours will require additional toilets. The toilets should also be easily accessible—your workers shouldn’t have to walk more than ten minutes to reach a restroom. If your site covers a large area, you will need more toilets to maintain efficiency. Government and local health regulations can also impact how many portable toilets you’ll need, but we’ll explore that in more detail below.
2: Health and Safety Regulations
It’s crucial that your toilets meet local and government regulations. For example, the OSHA rule for portable toilets on sites with less than 200 workers is one toilet for every 20 workers. One toilet seat and one urinal are required per 40 workers for sites with over 200 workers. Maricopa County also requires at least one toilet per 20 workers, and the units must be placed within 200 feet of each work area on the site.
3: Which Type of Portable Restrooms You Want
While there are several types of portable toilets to choose from, standard porta-potties are typically enough to cover the needs of most construction sites. However, some porta-potties are equipped with flushing toilets and a sink, which may be ideal for projects where workers spend long periods onsite. If you employ workers with disabilities, you will need ADA-compliant rental toilets. ADA-compliant portable restrooms are larger than the standard ones because they feature handrails and have a lower entry point to accommodate wheelchairs and individuals with special needs.
4: Which Features to Consider
Standard toilets typically have a toilet, urinal, and hand sanitizer pump. Construction sites may need units with additional features to enhance access, comfort, and hygiene. You might want to consider renting portable toilets with:
- Standalone handwashing stations for maintaining hygiene
- Towable trailers with mounted toilets for remote access locations where workers move locations daily
- Trailers with heating and air conditioning for extreme weather conditions (these units require electricity and an external water source)
5: Where to Place Your Porta-Potties
Before you rent any type of portable restroom, it’s important to consider their location. Conveniently placed porta-potties will help improve productivity on the worksite. All portable restrooms will need to be easily accessible to workers and placed out of the way of heavy machinery and equipment. As mentioned earlier, Maricopa County requires that all portable toilets be placed within 200 feet of any work area on the construction site.
Portable toilets must also be placed on even ground—if there are no easily accessible areas with even ground on the site, you may need to level a portion of the ground before installing the porta-potties. When placed on a dirt surface, portable toilets are typically staked down to avoid tipping in windy conditions. Toilets placed on asphalt or concrete are unable to be staked. Best placement would be near a building or storage container to block strong winds. Easy access is also crucial for servicing, so they can be emptied and restocked efficiently. Avoid placement near active trenching.
6: Maintenance and Hygiene
Just like indoor toilets, portable toilets need regular maintenance to ensure they stay hygienic and function properly. In fact, it’s part of OSHA requirements that work toilets be adequately maintained. Unsanitary toilets are not counted in the number of available toilets your site has for its workers. That means if you have two toilets, but they are both unsanitary, then you technically don’t have any available toilets for your employees and are in violation of OSHA regulations.
Porta-potty maintenance includes emptying the toilets, sanitizing and cleaning them, and restocking toilet paper and hand sanitizer. You will need to work with your portable toilet provider to determine a servicing schedule that best suits your construction site’s needs. Increased staffing manhours require either additional toilets or increased frequency of service.
Portable Toilet Rentals for Construction Sites
Considering these six factors before you rent portable toilets will ensure a comfortable, hygienic, and OSHA-compliant environment for your workers. For high quality portable toilets and services, contact Rent-A-Can today. We provide clean, professional portable restrooms and same-day service for construction sites in Pinal County and the surrounding areas. Give us a call at 520-466-7755 or fill out our form online to request a quote.