You may not realize how much portable restroom placement matters when it comes to providing you with the best service. In the winter it’s even more important that bathrooms be placed in ways that are more accessible to service technicians. Service techs run into additional challenges during the winter including: puddles and freezing ground water, truck access to the restrooms and inability to properly open the doors. These issues could lead to difficulty when we service your portable restrooms. Here are a few simple tips to consider when determining placement, which will allow us to easily and efficiently service you.
1.) Situate Restrooms on High Ground
When winter rolls around, it usually means heavy snowfall in many parts of the Midwest. With varying temperatures throughout the season this snow can easily melt and thaw several times and create large puddles on job sites. These puddles may hinder the ability to service restrooms and could even freeze them to the ground. To prevent issues with standing water, we recommend that portable restrooms be placed on high ground to allow water and melted snow to flow away from the restrooms. Elevated placement will also allow us to more easily move restrooms throughout the season while your jobsite progresses.
2.) Place Portable Restrooms Near Roads and Accessible Areas
If you’re not aware, our service technicians clean and freshen portable restrooms using specialized trucks, and these trucks need to be parked within 15 feet of the restrooms. In the summer it may be easier for technicians to drive their trucks onto job sites to reach restrooms placed in some hard to reach areas, but in the wintertime snow and ice may make it increasingly difficult to reach areas that aren’t on a plowed road. So to make it easier for our technicians to get to the restrooms, place them near cleared roads and driveways. Doing so will allow our technicians to get in and out without having to disrupt your day.
3.) Clear a Path in the Snow for Service Technicians
So your restrooms are placed near a cleared road or driveway, which is great. The only problem now is our technician has to trudge through a snow bank to reach it. This situation is, or course, not ideal. Whenever possible, clear a path from the road to the portable restrooms for easier access. Keep in mind our service technicians have to carry cleaning products and equipment to the restrooms, so if they have a clear path, they will easily be able to do their job and be on their way.
4.) Clear Away Snow from the Door
Now that there’s a pathway to the portable restrooms, it is much easier for your staff and our technicians to reach them, but it still may be difficult to get in and out if you don’t clear the swing radius of the door. The swing radius is the area in front and to the side of the portable restroom where the door opens and closes. In order to service them properly, our technicians need to be able to fully open the bathroom doors, so be sure to shovel the area around the doors for optimal access.
5.) Place Portable Restrooms in Well Lit Area
It’s a simple fact that in the winter the sun rises later in the morning and sets earlier in the evening. Even though its dark, work can’t stop on construction sites and it doesn’t stop us either. Our technicians may be stopping by your job site early in the morning or later in the evening to service your portable restrooms, and it may be too dark to really see anything. For this reason, we ask that you choose a location that is well lit. Imagine cleaning your bathroom at home in the dark. It could be hard to do a good job if you can’t see what you’re doing, and the same goes for our service technicians. Choose a well lit area, preferably underneath overhead lighting, so we can do the best job possible and leave you with clean restrooms every time.
These are just a few simple suggestions to help make the service of your portable restrooms easier and faster. Please be sure to ask our customer service representatives if you have any further questions about winter placement on your job or construction site.
