Construction sites are temporary by nature. It can be difficult to provide construction workers with a comfortable work environment that includes an office space, an indoor space to eat lunch and clean washrooms because they work in outdoor areas and move from site to site throughout the year.
A single portable washroom stall is not sufficient for a team—washroom trailers, however, can provide multiple washroom stalls as well as sinks.
Occupational Health and Safety Requirements
It is important to adhere to workplace washroom facility requirements when searching for washroom solutions for construction workers. Workplace washrooms or washroom trailers should be accessible, sanitary and safe to use. According to the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), the ratio of toilets to the number of workers on site is one flushable toilet per 15 workers, or one non-flushable toilet per 10 workers. While some toilets can be replaced by urinals in mens’ washroom facilities, at least two-thirds of the toilets should be full-sized. These minimum requirements ensure accessibility to washroom facilities. Ideally, workers should not have to wait in line for an extended period of time to use the washroom. Washrooms should be accessible to those with medical conditions as well.
Construction workers are considered to be mobile employees, and employers of construction workers follow a different set of regulations than employers of workers that are located a single, permanent site. The OHSA does not require washroom facilities to be located within the immediate vicinity of the construction site, but at the very least transportation to nearby washroom facilities must always be available. The basic necessities that approved washroom facilities or washroom trailers must have are running water, soap, paper towels or hand dryers and separate facilities for men and women (for a team of more than 15 workers).
Higher Risk of Infection for Construction Workers
Workplace washroom requirements are especially important to uphold for construction workers as they are exposed to infectious diseases that come with unsanitary conditions. If your construction team is consistently using public washrooms while working on a construction project, higher traffic in these washrooms poses a greater risk of contracting infectious diseases. Rented wash cars or port-a-potties that are not well-maintained or do not have working sinks also put workers at risk.
Providing your construction workers with an adequate number of clean and accessible washrooms is not just something that should be done to prevent occupational health risks, it should be done to provide your workers with a comfortable work environment. At Miller Office Trailers, we can provide affordable, well-maintained washroom trailers of various sizes to meet your ratio requirement. They can also be divided into separate sections for males and females. We save you time by delivering our trailers straight to you, and we accommodate emergency situations. Contact us today for wash car trailers to suit your needs!
