Can we use portable urinals to meet OSHA for a 60-man crew?
We've got a 60-man crew on a five-month commercial job. The site is tight, and I'm trying to minimize the footprint for the toilet setup. OSHA…
1answer
26views
Deb K. replied
Construction & Job Sites
OSHA ratios, long-term site rentals, weekly service, high-rise and crane-lift units, winter and vandalism.
150 questions
OSHA 1926.51: do weekend overtime crews change toilet counts?
Weekend overtime crews do not change the minimum toilet count for a construction site under OSHA 1926.51(c). The rule sets minimums by the maximum…
1answer
26views
Ray M. replied
OSHA 1926.51: do subcontractor crews count toward the toilet ratio?
Yes, OSHA 1926.51 includes all subcontractor workers in your total toilet count. The standard applies to every employee on the construction site,…
1answer
26views
Deb K. replied
High-rise site: backup plan if service elevator is booked?
I'm running a 24-story build in downtown Phoenix with 140 crew on site for the next 10 months. We have six standard portable toilets and one…
2answers
25views
Ray M. replied
Winter 2026: Should we winterize our site's porta potties in late October or wait?
We're finishing a six-month residential gut rehab in Chicago. The site has four standard portable toilets and one ADA-compliant unit for a crew of…
2answers
25views
Hector V. replied
Framing three spec houses on side by side lots: one porta potty per lot or can the crews share? ✓ Solved
OSHA considers this one site because the lots are adjacent and the same crew works all three. The OSHA construction sanitation standard, 29 CFR…
2answers
25views
Marcus B. replied
High-rise site: what's the protocol if the service elevator is out?
We're five months into a 20-story high-rise build in downtown Phoenix. I have a standard-unit and an ADA-compliant on every third floor, serviced…
1answer
25views
Brad L. replied
What's the OSHA rule for a 45-worker bridge project over water?
For a 45-worker bridge project over water, you need two toilets and two urinals to meet OSHA 1926.51. That standard requires one toilet seat and one…
1answer
25views
Carl D. replied
Winter 2026: will porta potties freeze on a Montana ranch?
We run a working ranch outside Bozeman with a crew of about 10 seasonal hands and a guest cabin that has no septic. I've used standard portable…
2answers
24views
Carl D. replied
High-rise project: what's the protocol if the crane for the porta potty is down on service day?
We're running a 30-story high-rise in downtown Phoenix with a crew of 120. We've got a standard portable toilet and an ADA-compliant unit up on the…
2answers
24views
Deb K. replied
Solar farm install spread over 60 acres: cluster units at the laydown yard or scatter them down the rows? ✓ Solved
Scatter units along the access roads. OSHA 1926.51 requires at least two units (one toilet and one urinal) for your crew of 40, but on a 60-acre…
2answers
24views
Marcus B. replied
What's the OSHA rule for a 75-worker solar farm spread over 60 acres?
OSHA 1926.51(c) requires one toilet seat and one urinal per 40 workers for a 75-worker construction crew, regardless of site size or crew dispersion.…
1answer
24views
Deb K. replied
2026: What's the OSHA rule for porta potties on a 75-worker site?
OSHA 1926.51 requires two portable toilets for 75 construction workers. The standard specifies one toilet seat and one urinal per 40 workers, so 75…
1answer
24views
Deb K. replied
High-rise site: what if the porta potty door freezes shut in winter?
We're running a high-rise project in Chicago, 20 floors up. Nights drop below freezing, and the wind up here is brutal. We've got a cluster of…
2answers
23views
Ray M. replied
OSHA 1926.51: does a 'mobile crew' exemption apply if the nearest gas station bathroom is 10 minutes away?
The gas station 10 minutes away does not qualify as 'readily available' under the OSHA 1926.51 mobile crew exemption. You must provide a portable…
2answers
22views
Marcus B. replied
Wind gust knocked our job site porta potty on its side overnight. Who cleans it up and how do we stop it happening again? ✓ Solved
The cleanup responsibility falls to the rental company, but you should call them immediately to report the spill and coordinate. They handle…
2answers
21views
Marcus B. replied
Handwash station next to our crew's porta potty froze solid two mornings in a row. What do people do in winter? ✓ Solved
Deb is right about the antifreeze, but she didn't mention that the rental company's driver adds it during the service visit, not at delivery. The…
2answers
21views
Ray M. replied
Fiber crew moving about a quarter mile a day down a county road. Do we keep dragging the porta potty along or is there a better setup? ✓ Solved
Moving the unit on a set schedule is the setup that works, and the mobile crew line in OSHA 1926.51(c)(4) is a weak thing to lean on here. That…
2answers
21views
Tyler R. replied
High-rise site: what's the backup plan if the service elevator is reserved by another trade?
We have a 40-story tower going up in Phoenix. The crew is 120 men, so we have four standard units and one ADA-compliant unit on the 15th floor. They…
1answer
21views
Deb K. replied
Wasps built a nest up by the porta potty vent on our framing job. Spray it ourselves or wait for the rental company?
We're framing a two story house and the standard unit has been on site since August. This week the guys noticed wasps going in and out right where…
2answers
20views
Deb K. replied
OSHA 1926.51: does a 'mobile crew' exemption apply if the nearest bathroom is 10 minutes away?
OSHA 1926.51 does not exempt your crew from providing a toilet on site if the nearest bathroom is 10 minutes away. The mobile crew exemption applies…
1answer
20views
Ray M. replied
What's the OSHA rule for a 120-worker site with multiple buildings under construction?
The OSHA rule for a 120-worker site requires one toilet seat and one urinal per 40 workers for the entire site, not per building. That's three…
1answer
20views
Marcus B. replied
OSHA 1926.51: does it cover subcontractor workers separately?
OSHA 1926.51 counts all workers on the construction site, regardless of employer. Your general contractor crew and the three subcontractor crews are…
1answer
20views
Deb K. replied
Need our job site porta potty moved 80 feet so the dumpster can go in. Can my crew just move it with the forklift? ✓ Solved
No, do not move a rented standard unit yourself with a forklift or telehandler. The rental company will move it, usually for a fee. A standard unit…
2answers
19views
Marcus B. replied
High-rise site: backup plan if service elevator is out in October 2026?
We are working a 12-story high-rise in Chicago. The job runs through next year. The crew is 120 people on two shifts. We have 15 standard units and…
2answers
19views
Marcus B. replied