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What's the OSHA rule for a 45-worker bridge project over water?

Hector V.asked 2 viewsConstruction & Job SitesOsha 1926 51PlacementHigh rise unitService frequencyAda unit

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 urinal per 40 workers for 20 to 199 employees. Your crew size of 45 falls in that range, so you round up to two of each. Mobile crews with immediate access to shore facilities might reduce this, but over water, barges and the deck are not readily accessible, so you must provide units on-site.

Placement and unit types: Place standard units on the bridge deck and barges where they are stable and accessible. Use staking and tie-downs to secure them against wind and water movement. For the ADA-compliant unit, follow the 5 percent cluster rule if you group units; with two or more at one spot, include one accessible unit. Ensure truck access for weekly service visits; if barges are hard to reach, coordinate with the operator for barge-side pumping or temporary relocation.

Service and conditions: Schedule weekly service for pumping, deodorizer recharge, and cleaning. Overwater projects often have higher humidity and sun exposure, which can accelerate odor and waste breakdown, so monitor and request extra service if needed. No alcohol or food service changes the calculation here; it's a standard construction site with long-term use on potentially unlevel surfaces. Plan for all weather, including securing units against storms.
Post your specific setup details if you need help with barge placement or service logistics.

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Carl D.Oklahoma City, OK

Two seats and two urinals is the right count for 45 on a bridge job, since the 1926.51 table calls for one toilet seat and one urinal per 40 workers once you pass 20, and 45 rounds you up to two of each. The table doesn't change again until 200, where it goes to one per 50.

The ADA part I'd push back on. The 2010 ADA construction site exception in 203.2 covers portable toilets that serve only the construction crew, so you aren't required to put an accessible unit on the deck. If inspectors or the public end up using them, that's a different conversation.

The piece that bites on overwater work is the mobile crew exception. Guys working off a barge or a skiff don't count as having toilets readily available if the nearest unit is back on shore and the boat only runs when it runs. On our last one we put a standard unit on the work barge and kept the rest at the abutment where the pump truck could actually reach.

Anything on a deck or barge gets strapped down, not just staked. Wind coming off the water will lay a unit over faster than you'd think, and cleaning up a tipped one on a barge is a miserable day.

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