One of the most basic urgencies of the human body is the need to relieve oneself through urination or a bowel movement. When this happens, and you are not at home, you need access to some type of facility in order to take care of business. Portable restrooms are often the option available for this purpose, especially in outdoor settings. OSHA mandates certain requirements related to portable restrooms and their use. The ANSI standard offers even more strict guidelines. We look at some of these below. At On Site Companies, we are your source for a variety of portable restroom options to accommodate the needs of your guests, employees, or other persons.
OSHA Requirements
OSHA 29 CFR 1926.51 specifies the minimum number of lavatories to be present on a site based on the number of workers at the site. For example, only one portable restroom is required if 20 or fewer workers are onsite. When 20 or more workers are onsite, employees must have access to 1 urinal and 1 toilet seat for every 40 workers. When over 200 workers are present, the manager of the site must provide 1 urinal and 1 toilet set for every 50 workers.
ANSI Standards
The OSHA standard must be followed in the United States. The ANSI standards offer more stringent guidelines. For example, ANSI/PSAI Z4.3-2016 – Sanitation – Nonsewered Waste-Disposal Systems provide a minimum requirement of 1 toilet facility per 10 employees. This changes to 1 toilet facility per 15 employees if the facilities are serviced more than one time per week. In addition, these numbers apply to each gender. So there would have to be 1 toilet per 10 males and 1 toilet per 10 females.
The ANSI/PSAI Z4.3-2016 standard does not specify the type of facility to be used. It allows for the use of plastic portable restrooms or mobile trailers or skid-mounted or prefabricated, portable structures, as long as they include self-closing doors, sufficient space inside, and a finish which is easy to clean. Also, if it is not feasible to find a portable toilet room, and if adequate privacy is provided, portable toilet facilities may be installed without a structure.
Even though the ANSI/PSAI Z4.3-2016 standard was originally created for construction sites, later versions of the standard provide more in-depth guidelines for other venues such as playground and parks. By adhering the ANSI standard for portable restrooms, one can help ensure their successful and safe application at a particular site.
To learn about the various portable restroom options we offer at On Site Companies, call us today at 651.429.3781 or contact us by email at [email protected].
