As with all work areas, construction sites must follow mandates as set by OSHA. Out of all the possible hazards that construction workers face – including exposure to asbestos and silica dust, dangerous falls, electrocutions, faulty equipment, etc. – even sanitation conditions at construction sites would be considered a potential health hazard if certain OSHA rules and regulations were not enforced. This is where portable restrooms from Westway Site Services formerly Moore Cans come in very handy. We offer a vast inventory of portable restrooms to meet the needs of OSHA requirements.
It is important to have any uncertainties concerning construction-site sanitation addressed on a continual basis since OSHA is known for frequently updating its rules and regulations in order to promote optimally healthy/safe work conditions. It is imperative that companies stay updated on what those changes are to avoid costly penalties that can be imposed for one or more violations. Some states have their own 'state plan' regarding their own occupational safety and health regulatory programs, but Texas is not one of them and, instead, federal rules govern workplace conditions.
The Rules, Regulations, and Revisions are Many
Construction sites are required to provide clean restrooms for workers whenever they might be needed, and the restrooms must be sanitary. If restrooms are not be kept clean enough, according to OSHA standards, they would not qualify as being counted toward the number of required restrooms for the respective construction site, based on the number of employees. Restrooms deemed unsanitary by OSHA would be considered 'unavailable' for use.
For this reason, it is very important that portable restrooms on construction sites be part of a regular maintenance schedule to pass OSHA cleanliness standards, at all times. With that being said, OSHA does not require toilet facilities to be 'immaculate' in order to be considered 'sanitary'. For more detailed information on this, you should call OSHA at the number listed, below.
OSHA's rules, regulations and details are many, but here are the basic OSHA requirements regarding sanitation provisions for construction sites as they apply to construction-site restroom facilities:
1. Enough portable restrooms must be available – dependent on the size of the workforce – to prevent long lines.
OSHA states that when there are 20 or fewer construction workers, only one portable restroom is required, and it does not have to be flush-capable. When more than 20 workers are on site, one toilet seat and one urinal are required for every 40 workers. In instances that involve more than 200 employees, one toilet and one urinal must be on-site for every 50 workers. Additionally, employee numbers must be rounded up to the nearest multiple of 10. For example, if there are 34 employees, it must be rounded up to 40; if there are 52 employees, the number would be rounded to 60, etc. This standard is designed to ensure that crew members will not suffer adverse health effects that can result if the number of on-site toilets is insufficient.
When men and women occupy the same construction site, OSHA's 'ANSI Z4.3 guidelines state that there should be one toilet for every 10 males and one toilet for every 10 females. There are, also,
mandates regarding restroom availability for transgender individuals.
2. Unreasonable restrictions with restroom use are not allowed.
3. Some stipulations, such as requiring workers to sign out for a key to use the restroom, cannot result in extended delays with getting to a restroom in a timely manner.
4. Any worker must be allowed to exit his or her respective work locations in order to use a restroom, as needed.
5. If a portable restroom is not available at a construction site where 'mobile' workers are present – those who regularly move from job-site to job-site and do not work at a conventional construction project – then, transportation must be readily available for those workers to reach a restroom that must be less than 10 minutes away.
6. Portable restrooms must be well lit, ventilated, and in a secure area.
7. Soap & running water and/or anti-bacterial hand cleansers must be available, at all times. Anti-bacterial hand cleaners are not considered OSHA-approved if workers' hands have been subjected to harmful contaminants such as herbicides & insecticides, paints, coating materials, etc.
8. Individual hand towels (paper or cloth) or air-blowers or continuous toweling must be readily available.
9. All restrooms should provide locking systems for privacy, and should be separated by gender.
OSHA does not indicate a certain type of portable restroom that must be used on construction sites, but basic portable restrooms are sufficient, yet, mobile trailers can be used, as well. The main point is: any unit must have adequate internal space for ease-of-movement; it must have self-closing doors; and any unit must have a type of finish – inside and out – that can be easily cleaned and sanitized.
Stay Informed of New and Revised Regulations
Remaining informed of OSHA's restroom regulations concerning Texas construction sites is extremely important. As a company, you may think you are OSHA-compliant, but you may not be since, as stated, OSHA regularly reviews and revises their regulations. Make sure you remain abreast of all OSHA revisions, on a regular basis. The last thing your company needs is to be slapped with violation penalties that can run into thousands of dollars.
Staying one step ahead of the game can be accomplished by regularly visiting OSHA's website www.OSHA.gov. You can, also, call OSHA at 1-800-321-6742.
Again, if you have any questions, feel free to call Westway Site Services formerly Moore Cans at (214) 351-0909. We will be happy to answer your questions – give us a call today!