How Many Porta Johns Does OSHA Require at Job Sites?

OSHA – the Occupational Safety and Health Administration – exists to ensure our workforce’s safety and health. They don’t always do so intuitively or easily, though, and the push and pull of regulations and red tape might have you in a bit of a spin. Not only that, but OSHA’s standards and practices can be slightly different depending on the state. How can you create and maintain a work environment that OSHA would give two gloved thumbs up?

Of course, OSHA’s guidelines are considered the bare minimum for a healthy environment for your workers, but what about a pleasant or even enjoyable environment? How can you accomplish that? OSHA might have the guidelines laid out for you, but the reality is much different than what you’ll see on paper.

The OSHA expectation: A big part of sanitation for construction is making sure your employees have a proper restroom. When it comes to how many portable toilets you’d need at a job site, OSHA’s standards are pretty straightforward. Employers with 20 or fewer employees need to secure at least one bathroom for their workers. If you have more than 20 workers, you should be providing one toilet and one urinal for every 40 workers. If you have 200 or more employees, you’ll need a minimum of one toilet and one urinal for every 50 employees.

Our reality: OSHA also states that these toilets need to be readily available and easily accessible. The truth is that this number of portable toilets usually isn’t enough if you want to avoid long lines of grumpy workers. The more bathroom options you have, the less time employees have to wait to use them. Having more toilets means happier employees who can return to work quicker and feeling refreshed. If you want to achieve this, it’s best to go with one portable restroom for every ten employees. Always go with more than you think you need: when all your employees are stuck doing the bathroom dance, no one wins.

The OSHA expectation: OSHA also states that you should provide antibacterial soap and clean water for your employees to use before they return to work. They also require single-use hand towels, air blowers, or clean individual sections of continuous toweling, as well as a trash can for the disposal of any single-use hygiene products.

Our reality: In our new world, the need for better hygiene and sanitation has never been more critical. Get a better grade with some Porta-Johns that have a separate hand washing station or even a hand sanitizer station. In the era of pandemic viruses, businesses and contractors realize this is becoming less of an upgrade and more of a necessity. Having better hygiene options isn’t just for keeping OSHA in your good graces; it’s also to maintain a clean and safe work environment for the workers who keep your business running.

The OSHA expectation: Should you violate any of OSHA’s portable toilet guidelines, you could end up having to shell out some serious cash. First offenses can run up to almost 13,000 dollars per violation, while repeat violations can cost you over 100k. OSHA makes one thing very clear: when it comes to your work site’s mess, they aren’t messin’ around.

Our reality: Renting the proper amount of portable toilets and having them cleaned regularly will undoubtedly be cheaper than having to dish out that kind of money to OSHA even once. Don’t gamble with your money or your employee’s happiness. With the right amount of Porta-Johns at your worksite, you’ll never have to worry about OSHA cutting into your hard-earned profits. But when you think about it, money isn’t nearly as important as what a violation can mean for your business. You don’t want to be known as the place that didn’t give your employees the proper amenities.

While OSHA has the best interests of the average work environment at the core of their regulations, you aren’t the average work environment. You want not just to meet expectations but exceed them, both for your customers and your employees.

VIP Restrooms will help get you on the right path by providing incredible restrooms that meet your requirements and needs. We build our portable toilets with these guidelines in mind, so you don’t have to worry about losing valuable time or money on taking a risk. We’re here to offer you the best and safest options for your workplace!