Going to the bathroom is one of our most urgent needs. Though it’s easy to take for granted, event runners and employers alike must account for bathroom needs to ensure a successful event or project. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), enforces strict guidelines for bathroom availability at an event or job site. With C & H Disposal Service, Inc., find out about OSHA guidelines and how they apply when renting portable toilets.
Portable Toilet Availability
According to OSHA regulations, employers and event planners must provide “adequate and readily accessible sanitation facilities”. But what does “adequate and accessible” mean? An “adequate” number of toilets depends on the number of people who will be present at the job or event site at any given time. OSHA has provided the following breakdown:
- At least one toilet per gender for 1-15 employees
- At least two toilets per gender for 16-35 employees
- At least three toilets per gender for 36-55 employees
- At least four toilets per gender for 56-80 employees
- At least five toilets per gender for 81-110 employees
- At least six toilets per gender for 111-150 employees
- At least one additional toilet per gender for every 40 employees over 150
When it comes to “accessible”, portable toilets must be placed near the event or job site. Toilets can be considered ‘nearby’ if it takes less than ten minutes to get to them. Plumbed bathrooms within the 10-minute range can also count toward the required number, provided they are operational and usable by employees or attendees.
This rule benefits you, too. If you’re renting for a jobsite, you ensure that nobody has to leave the site to find a bathroom – reducing lost time and improving work efficiency. If you’re renting for an event, bathroom access will help people enjoy themselves even more and leave with a better experience.
Types of Portable Toilet
If you are relying on rented portable toilets to meet bathroom regulations, it’s important to understand the types of portable toilets available and how requirements apply to them.
Most standard units include a single toilet. Because these are single occupancy with a locking door, they can count for both sexes. All-male job sites may instead use urinals for up to one-third of the toilet requirement. In addition, you may want to rent an ADA-compliant (handicap-accessible) toilet. Though these are not explicitly required, they should be provided if employees or attendees need them.
OSHA also requires handwashing facilities in or near the toilet area. This rule can be met using sink and flush units, where the portable unit includes both a toilet and an operational sink. Alternatively, you can rent standard units alongside a free-standing portable sink. The sink may be connected to an on-site water source or to one provided by your rental service.
Portable Toilet Sanitization
Not only must bathrooms be made available, but they must also be kept sanitary. An unsanitary toilet is considered unusable and therefore does not count toward the availability requirement.
OSHA does not have specific rules for sanitization. American National Standards Institute (ANSI) recommends cleaning portable units once per week. Use your best judgment, however. If a toilet becomes soiled quickly, you may need to service it sooner. Service portable toilets as often as necessary to keep them clean. If you cannot clean as soon as you would like, you should rent new units to make sure people have access to a sanitary facility while the old ones await service.
If you’ve ever used a portable toilet that hasn’t been cleaned, you know why this rule is in place. Sanitary toilets help everybody stay healthy and happy.
Rent Portable Toilets with C & H Disposal Service, Inc.
If you need bathrooms for an upcoming event or construction project, C & H Disposal Service, Inc. can help you meet OSHA regulations with portable toilet rentals for commercial and residential use. We serve South New Jersey with competitive pricing and exceptional customer service. Our options include weekend, weekly, and monthly rentals, with the following unit types available:
- Standard units: Our single-occupancy standard units each include a sink and a urinal. They also come equipped with toilet paper and hand sanitizer for waterless washing.
- Sink and flush units: Deluxe units include the standard bathroom setup, alongside a sink with a freshwater reservoir and foot-pump faucet. They come with toilet paper and hand soap.
- ADA-compliant units: For sites that need them, we offer larger units to accommodate wheelchair users. They come with the same conveniences as standard units.
- Wash stations: We also offer free-standing sinks for hand washing.
Our team is also happy to service both rented and customer-owned units, including necessary repairs and weekly cleaning, to ensure that units stay functional and sanitary. To learn more about our portable toilet rental products and services, or to rent toilets for your upcoming event or work site, contact us today. We can be reached by phone or at our location at 47 Griers Lane, Elmer, NJ 08318.
