What's the OSHA rule for a 25-person crew on a 3-story building?
One standard portable toilet is enough for a 25-person crew on your three-story building. This meets the minimum requirement of OSHA 29 CFR 1926.51.…
1answer
31views
Deb K. replied
Construction & Job Sites
OSHA ratios, long-term site rentals, weekly service, high-rise and crane-lift units, winter and vandalism.
149 questions
Winter 2026: will our construction site porta potties freeze solid?
Our site in Chicago has 95 workers on site for a 10-week project through January. We have a cluster of ten standard portable toilets and one…
2answers
30views
Ray M. replied
Construction site overnight: should we lock the porta potty, or does locking it cause more headaches? ✓ Solved
Locking the standard unit overnight is a bad idea. It creates more problems than it solves. The rental company requires free access for the service…
2answers
30views
Ray M. replied
Our porta potty got tagged with graffiti. Who handles cleanup?
Our crew of 40 has a standard portable toilet on site, rented for a 12-week commercial build. It's on level ground with truck access for weekly…
2answers
30views
Marcus B. replied
Roof tear-off on a narrow lot: where do we put the porta potty so it isn't under falling shingles? ✓ Solved
Ray's right about the front lawn, but check your city's right-of-way rules first. Some require a permit if the unit sits on the sidewalk strip.…
2answers
30views
Hector V. replied
Winter 2026: How do high-rise units handle freezing at elevation?
We're on a 40-story high-rise in Chicago, winter 2026. The crew is 150 people, five days a week. We have a cluster of standard units and one…
1answer
30views
Deb K. replied
High-rise site: what happens if the service truck breaks down on route day?
My high-rise site has 10 standard portable toilets across 20 floors. The service truck is supposed to come every Tuesday. We have 65 workers on site…
1answer
30views
Deb K. replied
High-rise site: what if the service elevator is out?
I have two standard portable toilets and one ADA-compliant portable toilet on the 15th floor of a 22-story build. The crew is 80 guys, 10-hour days,…
2answers
29views
Brad L. replied
High-rise site: What's the plan if the crane is down on service day?
We're on a 35-story build in Phoenix with 150 workers, standard 40-hour week. The crane goes down for maintenance next Tuesday, our regular service…
2answers
29views
Deb K. replied
2026 winter: Do high-rise units need special antifreeze for crane lifts?
We're breaking ground on a 40-story tower in Chicago next January. The crew will be around 150 people, working five days a week for two years. We'll…
2answers
29views
Ray M. replied
High-rise site: what if the crane is down on service day?
We have a 20-story commercial build going. The crew is 150 to 200, depending on the day. We have a cluster of 15 standard units and one ADA-compliant…
2answers
29views
Deb K. replied
OSHA rule for a 50-person crew on a 10-story building?
OSHA 1926.51(c) requires at least two standard portable toilets for a 50-person construction crew. The standard mandates one toilet seat and one…
1answer
29views
Brad L. replied
OSHA 1926.51: Does a 10-man crew on a 30-story exterior need a unit on the roof?
OSHA 1926.51 does not require a portable toilet on the roof for a 10-man crew doing facade work. The standard is based on total worker count at the…
2answers
28views
Deb K. replied
Late fall framing job: do we need antifreeze in the porta potty before overnight freezes start?
We are framing an addition on a vacant lot through November. Crew is usually 6 to 8 guys. The standard unit sits on gravel by the driveway and gets…
2answers
28views
Carl D. replied
Cold mornings on our framing job: the inside of the porta potty drips and the toilet paper is soaked. Fixable? ✓ Solved
Deb is right about condensation, but the rental company can also add a winterization antifreeze solution to the holding tank during the next service…
2answers
27views
Ray M. replied
What's the protocol if a porta potty tips over in high winds?
We're building a three-story office in an open field west of Phoenix. The site is exposed and we get those afternoon monsoon gusts. Last week a…
2answers
27views
Ray M. replied
High-rise site: what's the backup plan if the service truck is late?
We're on a 40-story build in Phoenix with 175 workers on site daily. The porta potty setup is a cluster of eight standard units and one ADA-compliant…
2answers
27views
Deb K. replied
High-rise unit servicing: what if the building's freight elevator is too small for the vacuum tank?
We have a standard portable toilet on the 40th floor of a high-rise construction site. It's been there for three weeks with weekly service, but the…
2answers
27views
Ray M. replied
High-rise site: what's the backup plan if the service elevator is reserved?
We're 14 weeks into a 20-story tower. The crew is 45 to 50 people daily. I have one standard portable toilet and one ADA-compliant portable toilet…
1answer
27views
Marcus B. replied
What's the OSHA rule for porta potties on a bridge project?
OSHA 1926.51(c) requires one toilet and one urinal per 40 workers for a crew of 45 on a construction site. Your bridge project needs two units. The…
1answer
27views
Marcus B. replied
Our site has 120 workers across three buildings. One toilet bank or separate ones?
We have a 12-acre site with three separate buildings under construction, all spread out. We've got 120 workers total, split across the three…
2answers
26views
Deb K. replied
High-rise site: service elevator reserved, what's the backup plan?
We have a 22-story commercial build in Phoenix. The site has 120 workers, so we have three standard units and one ADA-compliant unit on the 18th…
2answers
26views
Ray M. replied
Water line crew moving about a mile a week: can we tow a trailer unit ourselves?
We're replacing a water line along a county road, crew of six, and the work face moves roughly a mile every week. Right now we have one standard unit…
2answers
26views
Marcus B. replied
High-rise site in 2026: what's the protocol if a unit is vandalized overnight?
We have a 30-story residential tower going up downtown. The site has 90 workers on the concrete crew, so we have seven standard portable toilets and…
2answers
26views
Ray M. replied
OSHA 1926.51: Do temp workers count toward the toilet ratio?
Yes, OSHA 1926.51 counts all workers on a construction site toward the toilet ratio, including temporary workers. The standard applies to all…
1answer
26views
Ray M. replied