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High-rise unit servicing when the building elevator is broken.

Hector V.asked 0 viewsConstruction & Job SitesHigh rise unitService visitService frequencyTruck accessConstruction

We have a high-rise unit on the 15th floor of a commercial job. It's a standard unit, the kind with a 60-gallon holding tank. The elevator is scheduled for maintenance next week and will be down for three days. My crew of 25 guys on that floor needs it. The rental company's vacuum truck obviously can't get up there without the elevator.

Has anyone dealt with this? Do I just skip the service visit and let it fill up? Is there a way to pump it manually from that high up? I need a plan before the unit becomes unusable.

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Ray M.Dallas, TX

You cannot skip the service visit. A standard high-rise unit with a 60-gallon holding tank will fill up fast with 25 workers using it for three days. OSHA 1926.51 requires one toilet for 20 or fewer workers, so you are already at the minimum. A full unit is a health violation and unusable.

Call your rental company now. They have dealt with elevator outages before. Options depend on the building and their equipment. Some companies use a portable transfer tank and a pump to move waste from the unit to the vacuum truck on the ground floor. This requires a service tech to carry equipment up the stairs and a hose run through the stairwell or a service shaft. It is labor-intensive and may need building management approval for access.

Do not try to pump it manually yourself. Portable toilet waste requires special handling and disposal at a treatment plant. The rental company is responsible for that. They might also suggest a temporary unit on the ground floor if stairs are feasible for your crew, but that does not solve the high-floor unit servicing. The key is advance notice so they can schedule a workaround.

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