Planning guide
OSHA Porta Potty Requirements for Construction Sites
The legal minimum, the hand-washing rule, the farm rule, and the count that keeps a unit usable all week — in one place.
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What does OSHA 1926.51 require for toilets?
OSHA 29 CFR 1926.51(c) requires at least 1 toilet for 20 or fewer workers, 1 toilet seat and 1 urinal per 40 workers for 20 to 199 workers, and 1 toilet seat and 1 urinal per 50 workers for 200 or more. The rule applies when the site has no sanitary sewer.
| Workers | Minimum facilities (Table D-1) |
|---|---|
| 20 or fewer | 1 |
| 20 or more | 1 toilet seat + 1 urinal per 40 workers |
| 200 or more | 1 toilet seat + 1 urinal per 50 workers |
Official text: OSHA 29 CFR 1926.51. This guide is general information, not legal advice; confirm your site's requirements with your safety officer or general contractor.
When does OSHA require hand washing on a job site?
OSHA 29 CFR 1926.51(f) requires washing facilities where workers apply paints, coatings, herbicides, insecticides or other contaminants, kept sanitary and stocked with water, soap and towels. Food handling and concrete or chemical work are other common reasons crews add a station.
What about farm and field crews?
Farm field crews follow OSHA 29 CFR 1928.110, which calls for 1 toilet and 1 hand washing facility for every 20 workers, located within a quarter-mile walk of each worker's place in the field. The rule does not apply to field work lasting 3 hours or less in a day, including travel time.
Official text: OSHA 29 CFR 1928.110.
How many units should a contractor actually order?
Order 1 porta potty for every 10 workers on a 40-hour week with one weekly service. That is more than OSHA's minimum, because a unit shared by 20 workers fills before the next service. A 25-person crew gets 3 units; a 60-person crew gets 6, or 3 with twice-weekly service.
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