Porta Potty Forum

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?

Carl D.asked 1 viewConstruction & Job SitesConstruction siteOsha 1926 51Mobile crewUnit placementService frequency

We picked up a fiber job laying conduit along about four miles of county road shoulder. Six of us, should take three or four weeks depending on how much rock we hit. The unit got dropped at the start point, and by the end of next week we'll be a mile and a half past it. Guys are already driving back in the work truck to use it, which kills twenty minutes every time.

Options I'm kicking around: have the rental outfit move it every few days, get a trailer mounted unit we can hitch up and pull ourselves, or just lean on the mobile crew part of the OSHA rule since we always have a truck there. There's a gas station near the halfway point but nothing at either end.

Anyone run a moving crew like this? Which setup actually works, and what does the service driver need from us when the unit keeps changing spots?

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Ray M.Dallas, TX

Move the unit yourselves with a trailer-mounted portable toilet. A trailer unit is the standard solution for a moving crew because it lets you tow it with a truck or UTV as you work down the road. You have six workers, so OSHA 1926.51 requires one toilet for your crew size. The mobile crew exemption does not apply because you are stationary for days at a time along the road.

Tell your rental company you need a trailer unit. They will deliver it with a hitch and safety chains. You are responsible for towing it on level ground and securing it at each stop. The service driver needs a clear spot to park the vacuum truck within 25 feet of the unit on service day. Blocked access means a missed service, and you get billed for the trip.

Service stays weekly unless the unit gets heavy use. A standard trailer unit holds 50 to 70 gallons. Do not use the gas station bathrooms; that violates OSHA because they are not designated for employee use. A trailer unit keeps your crew on the job.

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