How To Ensure A Clean, Hygienic Job-site Portable Toilet

Construction worksites are the best places to install portable toilets. They are generally situated in places which as yet have no connection to either the city water supply or the sewerage system. Thus till such time as these connections are facilitated, sanitary needs have to be taken care of using these portable toilets. There are basically two reasons for the installation of these portable toilets. They are as follows:

• There are no suitable toilets and restrooms in the vicinity of the construction worksite and
• The toilets and restrooms present nearby are not enough to cater to the needs of all the people working at the construction worksite.

In fact it is very easy to get them installed for they are light weight enough to be transported on vehicles from their places of storage to their place of usage and can also be easily assembled and dismantled. Most installed toilets generally have a toilet, a flush, a toilet paper dispenser and a urinal. The presence or absence of the urinal determines whether it is exclusively meant for men or women. However, today unisex toilets have gained popularity since they are able to cater to both men and women. 

Number of restrooms to be rented

For construction worksites wherein the space is less, single units are most appropriate while large construction projects need the installation of restroom trailers which are a collection of 7 or more single toilet units. These trailers are able to service more people at the same time and also help to reduce queues in front of the same. Generally speaking most construction companies use the following chart to calculate the number of restrooms or toilets that need to be installed. The number of work hours is taken to be either 8 hours a day or 40hours a week.  Thus, if the number of workers ranges between:

• 1 and 10, 1 toilet should ideally suffice,
• 11 and 20 then 2 toilets need to be installed,
• 31 to 40, it becomes mandatory to have 4 toilets and 
• For over 40 workers 4 toilets have to be installed and additionally there has to be 1 toilet installed for every 10 workers.

Most units might come attached with or without a water storage unit for flushing. Chemical flushing is also enabled in some units and the choice of the same depends on the construction jobsite managers who ultimately place the orders. It has been seen that if there are adequate number of restrooms installed, cleanliness is automatically maintained.

Maintenance basics

The fact that these portable toilets are very easy to maintain is perhaps its biggest advantage. One way to ensure clean and hygienic sanitary facilities is to go in for a maintenance contract with the company renting out the portable toilets like https://diamondprovides.com/ . Thus it becomes their duty to ensure that:

• The toilet is regularly cleaned with the frequency of the same depending on the usage,
• The walls and floors are washed and cleaned,
• The soap dispensers and the toilet paper dispensers are never empty,
• The toilet keeps smelling fresh and clean by ensuring that the deodoriser is kept filled,
• It is pumped regularly to ensure proper disposal of human wastes.

In case the maintenance of the portable toilet is taken care of by the construction company authorities, the following points have to be kept in mind.

• Irrespective of the usage, it is always better to clean the portable toilet atleast once a week to prevent the accumulation of organic matter which then becomes the breeding ground of disease causing allergens and pathogens.
• It is very important to establish a schedule for the pumping of the portable toilets so that the formation of bad odour can be prevented. But when the pumping out is being carried out, care must be taken to ensure that sewage or wash water is not released into creeks or storm drain systems, if present. Of course, if the portable toilet is situated on dirt mound, the waste water can be allowed to drain into the soils provided there is no way of it reaching any ditch, creek, storm inlet drain or pavement etc. 
• Wastewater needs to be disposed of either into the 
  • Sanitary sewer present in the construction worksite or
  • Into a holding tank for disposal into a sewer at an approved location at a convenient time.
• Trash needs to be removed and discarded into garbage before actually cleaning the toilet.
• In order to enable sanitary sewer disposal, a one-time permit for discharge needs to be acquired from the concerned government agency.

In fact almost all states have rules and regulations which state that employers need to ensure clean and hygienic sanitary facilities to their employees. If this is not maintained, the construction company is liable to face changes and fines. 

Types Of Portable Toilets Available On Rent

Any project which involves the construction of a new building or renovation or remodelling of an existing one, comes under the purview of a construction project. New projects are generally built in places which lack the basic amenities that are otherwise found elsewhere. Thus their initial requirement after getting the go-ahead on a project is to ensure the set-up of:

• Good sanitary facilities,
• Availability of clean drinking water, both hot and cold,
• Transportation in case the worksite is very far away from the city,
• Fulfillment of some of the other supplementary needs like food, coffee etc., in case there are none nearby etc.

However, for remodeling, the availability of the basic facilities might not be a problem. The use of the sanitary facilities already present can pose quite a problem since the house owners might still be residing in it and could voice privacy concerns.

Disadvantages of constructing toilets

Hence in both instances, it is better to organize separate sanitary facilities for the people working on the projects. Constructing restrooms for the period is not a very feasible idea because:

• The constructed washrooms have to be demolished at the end of the project thereby resulting in financial loss and
• If the number of people working is more, more number of washrooms has to be constructed to meet up with the sanitary demands which would again result in financial loss.

Renting toilets—a practical solution

Thus it makes sense, both practically and economically, to rent portable toilets and washrooms for all on-going construction projects right from the beginning because:

• Portable toilets can be rented for an indefinite period if required,
• Statistically speaking the cumulative rent to be paid for the whole period is lesser than the cost of building and then demolishing the same number of toilets,
• The number of toilets that need to be installed can be easily rented,
• There are many options available which enable monetary savings when multiple toilets need to be rented,
• Cleaning and maintenance of these rented toilets is taken care of by the company supplying the same like https://diamondprovides.com/ ,
• The timely disposal of accumulated wastes is also taken care of in the proper way as authorized by the state officials and
• Transportation and installation can be done quickly, safely and in quite an easy manner.

Different options available

Companies which rent out portable toilets are also well-equipped to rent out other accessories that are required. They also have many different options available for single and multiple toilets. Some of these options and accessories which are readily available with them are:

• Single standard toilets: These are usually meant for use of one single person and are also known as the Basic restroom. They are free-standing and come equipped with a toilet, urinal and a dispenser for keeping toilet paper. The inclusion of the hand-gel dispenser is absolutely optional. These are extremely useful for places where remodeling projects are going on and the number of people employed is less. There are also options available wherein these standard toilets come with wheels for easy transportation around the construction worksite in order to maintain proximity with the place where construction is going on.
• Portable restroom stations: These are for use by a number of people at the same time and typically consist of 2 or more than 2 stalls. They may or may not be demarcated for separate use by men and women or they might also be for unisex use. The come equipped with running water both for the sink, since these are restroom stations, and the toilets. Some units might also be self-sufficient with the water storage tanks installed overhead. Large construction project worksites employing a huge number of people are ideal places for the installation of these restroom stations. In fact the ability to be able to wash their hands and face and freshen up a bit before going home, ensures a happy state of mind for the workers thereby increasing their work output.
• Restrooms for the differently abled: There are instances when differently abled people might be working at construction worksites. It becomes difficult for these people to use the normal standard toilets and restrooms. In order to cater to their special needs, most companies like https://diamondprovides.com/ have provisions for specially equipped toilets and restrooms exclusively for the differently abled. 
• Fresh water systems: In these toilets and restrooms, there are provisions for the attachment of special trailers with water holding tanks. These can be attached to the toilets so that fresh water is always available whenever the restroom is being used. These fresh water systems come in handy when the construction worksite is at a place which is far away from the nearest city and hence has no access to the city water lines.

There are several variations available to the above mentioned basic restrooms given out on rent. Thus it becomes easier for the construction companies to choose one which syncs in the most with their needs thereby ensuring that good sanitary facilities are available. This makes for a jovial and easy going atmosphere in the job-site thereby increasing the overall productivity.