WBC Washroom Requirements – What Employers Need to Know
New changes to the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations require all construction sites with 25 or more employees present must provide flush toilets, handwashing facilities, and clean washrooms. Gone are the days where you could plunk down a porta potty or two and call it good enough! So what does this mean for you as an employer or prime contractor? Here’s what you need to know, and how First Class Facilities can help you stay compliant.
What type of work sites do these regulations apply to?
WorkSafeBC defines a construction project as “any erection, alteration, repair, dismantling, demolition, structural or routine maintenance, painting, land clearing, earth moving, grading, excavating, trenching, digging, boring, drilling, blasting, concreting, the installation of any machinery or any other work deemed to be construction by WorkSafeBC.” The new requirements apply to new construction projects and ones that are already underway or in the planning stages. That’s a lot of job sites on Vancouver Island that need portable toilets! WorkSafeBC is planning to combine consultation, education and enforcement to ensure worksites are complying, which means you should be prepared by adding flush toilets to your site before a surprise audit. Every contractor – from Victoria to Nanaimo – needs to up their washroom game!
What are the new regulations?
If 25 or more employees are going to be present at any given time throughout the project, employers need to provide enough washrooms so that everyone has access to one within 200 feet and one floor of their work area. The new regulations require employers or prime contractors to provide flush toilets, whether connected to a sewer system or a holding tank, and allows for the use of supplemental porta potties. Fewer washrooms may be required at the beginning or end of a project, but once you hit that magic number of 25, you must have adequate flush toilets available. The amendments also include a requirement for a handwashing facility to be within or nearby the enclosed space where the toilets are located.
How do work sites stay compliant here on Vancouver Island?
From residential developments in Langford, to large-scale commercial work in Campbell River, if your job site hits 25 workers, these new toilet regulations apply. We recommend starting with portable washroom trailers if you know your site is going to reach the 25-employee threshold, even if you’re starting off with a smaller crew. This ensures the project starts off in compliance with the requirements, adding additional flush toilets or porta potties as needed. OHS Guideline G4.85(1)-2 provides guidelines for ensuring washroom facilities are readily available to all workers.
Ready to make the switch to flush toilets?
First Class Facilities is a complete construction washroom solution. Our portable washroom trailers can be hooked up to a sewer system or use the holding tank. Each stall has its own sink that can be connected to a water line. Our line-up of products also includes regular and accessible portable toilets with built in hand sanitizing stations for those far-flung corners of the worksite where it wouldn’t be practical to put a bathroom trailer. We deliver, set up, service, clean and stock, and pump according to your schedule. Whether you’re breaking ground in Duncan or finishing up a project in Sooke, our team is ready to deliver reliable, regulation-compliant washrooms that work.
Ready to make the switch to flush toilets?
First Class Facilities offers 2, 3 and 4 stall portable washroom trailers, so no matter the size of your crew, we’ve got a toilet for you! Our 2 Stall Comfort Model is perfect for smaller job sites, or to tuck away in the corner of a larger site. Our 4 Stall Comfort Model fits in well on a larger site with more employees. The 3 Stall Luxury Model is suited nicely for the Administrative area of your site, where the big wigs might be gathering for their daily meetings. We can also supplement with portable toilets to ensure every employee has access to a bathroom while on your job site, ensuring compliance with the new regulations. We can do any combination of portable construction washroom solutions to fit your unique site needs.
Call, email, or fill out the form to get in touch. We’ll help you keep your site WBC compliant with clean, reliable units built for real job sites. Keep your project moving – we’ll handle the rest (and the mess!)
