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OSHA 1926.51: Do weekend workers count toward our total?

Hector V.asked 0 viewsConstruction & Job SitesRules permits adaOsha 1926 51Construction sitesService frequency

OSHA 1926.51 counts all workers present at the site during the workday toward the total for portable toilet requirements. Your weekend crew requires additional units if their presence pushes the total worker count into a higher OSHA bracket.

OSHA's total worker count
The OSHA construction sanitation standard, OSHA 29 CFR 1926.51, bases its minimums on the number of employees at the worksite. The count is not an average over a week. If you have 180 workers Monday through Friday, and 40 contractors join on Saturday, the Saturday peak is 220 workers. For 200 or more workers, the rule is one toilet seat and one urinal per 50 workers. You must provide facilities for the peak daily count.

Planning for weekend peaks
Schedule your service visit to ensure the units are clean, stocked, and functional for the weekend crew. A Friday service is standard. If the weekend work is heavy construction, the units will fill faster. You may need to add a mid-week service or order extra units to handle the increased use. Check the placement for weekend access; a crane might block the truck access needed for pumping.

Mobile crew exemption
The standard exempts mobile crews with ready transportation to nearby facilities. This does not apply to a fixed construction site where workers are present for a full shift. Your weekend contractors are part of the site count.

Order the units for your highest daily headcount. Post your site specifics, total workers on your busiest day, project duration, ground conditions, and I'll outline the setup.

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Deb K.Akron, OH

Yes, weekend workers count toward your total under OSHA 1926.51. The rule requires portable toilets for the maximum number of employees present at the worksite at any one time. If you have 40 workers on Saturday in addition to your weekday crew, you must provide facilities for that peak count of 220 workers.

For 200 or more workers, OSHA requires one toilet seat and one urinal per 50 workers. You need at least five toilet seats and five urinals on Saturday. A standard portable toilet counts as one seat; a portable urinal is a urinal. If your site is accessible to the public or has employees with disabilities, include an ADA-compliant portable toilet in the cluster.

Schedule a service visit on Friday before the weekend crew arrives. Heavy use over the weekend may require more frequent servicing than the standard weekly pump-out. Ensure truck access is clear for the service truck on your scheduled day. The cost of renting extra units and adding service trips depends on the unit types, rental duration, and service frequency.

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