This post is the written version of episode 3 of our podcast, Porta Potty Rentals: Let's Talk Flush. It covers the federal toilet count for construction crews, servicing on long rentals, placement on a job site, and planning for restrooms when hurricane season takes plumbing out of service. The sources are listed at the end of the post.
The federal count for construction sites
A Tampa job site with 21 workers needs more than one toilet. That number comes from federal rules, and it decides the size of the order.
The OSHA construction standard, 29 CFR 1926.51(c)(1), sets the minimum number of toilet facilities by the number of employees on site:
- 20 or fewer employees: one toilet.
- 20 or more employees: one toilet seat and one urinal per 40 workers.
- 200 or more employees: one toilet seat and one urinal per 50 workers.
Plan for the busiest week
The count follows the crew on site, so plan around peak headcount instead of the average. A site that runs ten people in one phase and forty in the next should be planned for forty. If the programme might change, tell us early, because extending or adding to an existing rental is simpler than setting up a new one.
Servicing on a long build
A unit that stands for weeks on a job site gets heavy use. On multi-week rentals we come back on a schedule to pump the tank and clean the unit, then restock it, so it stays usable through the whole project. Paper and sanitizer are topped up at delivery.
Most crews pair their units with a portable handwash station. Ours is a free-standing sink with foot-pump taps, fresh water, a soap dispenser and a paper towel holder, and it pairs with any unit we rent.
Where the unit goes on site
We place a unit wherever you want it, as long as our truck can reach it and the ground is stable enough to sit the unit level. Tell us the spot when you call and we will raise anything that will not work, such as a location behind a locked gate or inside an area that will be closed off later in the build.
Storm season on the Gulf Coast
The National Hurricane Center counts the Atlantic hurricane season from June 1 through November 30. For a Tampa contractor, that is a large part of the year.
When a storm takes the plumbing down, a building or a site still needs restrooms. We deliver standard units and handwash stations to sites where the mains are out, and keep them serviced until the water is back. Crews rebuilding after a storm fall under the same OSHA count as any other construction site, so the table above still applies.
Booking a job-site rental
Booking is by phone. Give us the delivery address, the dates, and roughly how many people will be on site at the busiest point. That is enough for us to recommend the right units and confirm a delivery time on the same call.
Quick recap
- OSHA 29 CFR 1926.51(c)(1): one toilet for 20 or fewer employees; one toilet seat and one urinal per 40 workers for 20 or more; one toilet seat and one urinal per 50 workers for 200 or more.
- Plan for peak headcount on site, and flag schedule changes early.
- Multi-week rentals are serviced on a schedule, with the tank pumped and the unit cleaned and restocked on each visit.
- Units need truck access and firm, level ground.
- The Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30, according to the National Hurricane Center. Units and handwash stations can be delivered where the mains are out.
Sources
- OSHA, 29 CFR 1926.51, Sanitation: https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1926/1926.51
- National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Climatology: https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/climo/
Read the full episode transcript
Host 1: A Tampa job site with twenty one workers needs more than one toilet. That number comes from federal rules, and it decides the order.
Host 2: Walk us through the rule.
Host 1: OSHA construction standard nineteen twenty six point fifty one, paragraph c one, sets the count. Twenty workers or fewer, one toilet. Twenty or more, one toilet seat and one urinal per forty workers. Two hundred or more, one toilet seat and one urinal per fifty workers.
Host 2: And the count follows the crew on site, so plan around your busiest week.
Host 1: Right. A site that runs ten people in one phase and forty in the next should be planned for forty.
Host 2: What about a long build? A unit standing for months in Tampa gets heavy use.
Host 1: On multi week rentals we come back on a schedule to pump the tank and clean the unit, then restock it. Paper and sanitizer are topped up at delivery. Most crews pair the units with a portable handwash station, with foot pump taps, soap and paper towels.
Host 2: Placement on a job site?
Host 1: Wherever you want it, as long as our truck can reach it and the ground is stable enough to sit the unit level. Tell us the spot when you call, and we will raise anything that will not work.
Host 2: Now the Gulf Coast part. The National Hurricane Center counts the Atlantic hurricane season from June first through November thirtieth.
Host 1: When a storm takes the plumbing down, a building or a site still needs restrooms. We deliver standard units and handwash stations to sites where the mains are out, and keep them serviced until the water is back.
Host 2: Crews rebuilding after a storm fall under the same OSHA count as any other job site, so the numbers from earlier still apply.
Host 1: Booking is by phone. Give us the address, the dates, and roughly how many people will be on site. That covers the unit choice and a delivery time on the same call.
Host 2: That wraps this one. We are Tampa Porta Potty Rentals Pristine, at two thousand two North Lois Avenue, suite eight sixty one, Tampa. Call eight one three, five one eight, eight four three two. The phones are open seven days a week, from seven in the morning until nine at night.
About Tampa Porta Potty Rentals Pristine
Tampa Porta Potty Rentals Pristine, 2002 N Lois Ave #861, Tampa, FL 33607. Call +1-813-518-8432, open daily 7AM to 9PM.
We rent standard and deluxe porta potties, ADA-accessible units, restroom trailers and handwash stations across Tampa. Booking is by phone.