Cats aren’t the only ones finicky about their sandbox.

Preventing Construction Site Porta-Potty Problems

Keeping your construction worker's porta-potty up to his standards is very important. The following suggestions should keep your construction worker from "thinking outside the box."

Location, location, location

Most people tend to place the porta-potty in an out-of-the-way spot to minimize odor and prevent fluids from being tracked throughout the construction site. But, if the porta-potty ends up in the basement next to the electrical hub or on a cold cement floor, your construction worker may be less than pleased.

So you may have to compromise.

• Keep the porta-potty in a spot that gives your construction workers some privacy yet is also conveniently located. If the porta-potty is too hard to get to, especially for a young construction worker or an elderly worker, he just may not use it.
• Avoid placing porta-potties next to noisy or heat-radiating machinery, like the cement mixer or the arc welder. The noise can make a construction worker nervous, while the warmth of the arc welder can magnify the porta-potty smell, which could make him stay away from it.
• Put the porta-potty far away from the food truck and hot dog stand. Construction workers don't like that smell too near their food and may not use the porta-potty.
• Place at least one porta-potty on each level of your construction site. That way your construction worker has options if access to his primary porta-potty is blocked (the basement door is closed or your architects have him holed up on the top floor.) If you have more than one construction worker, provide porta-potties in several locations so that one construction worker can't ambush another worker using the porta-potty.
• If you keep the porta-potty in a closet or in a garage, be sure the door is wedged open from both sides to prevent your worker from being trapped inside or locked out. Depending on the location, you might consider cutting a hole in a closet door and adding a person door.
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Pick of the Potty

Research has shown that most construction workers prefer plastic lined potties, presumably because they have a softer feel. The new powder blue potties usually have softer colors than the typical porta-potty and are very popular because they really keep down the odor with new high tech charcoal filters. But high-quality German porta-potties with porcelain, dust-free surfaces are well scented and may be perfectly acceptable to your construction worker.

There are several different types of porta-potties on the market. The most popular ones are traditional porcelain, steel, plastic, and plant-derived/bio-degradable materials.

If your construction worker has previously been an outdoor one and prefers dirt, you can keep him out of your landscaping by placing medium-sized rocks on top of the soil and/or by keeping some potting soil in your porta-potties. A construction worker who rejects all types of commercial potties may be quite happy with a pile of sand in the potty. Once you find a porta-potty your construction worker likes, stick with it. Switching potties constantly could result in your construction worker not using the porta-potty.

Smelling like a rose

Many people used scents to mask porta-potty odors, but those scents can put off many workers. For the same reason, it's not a good idea to place a room deodorizer or air freshener near the porta-potty.

A thin layer of baking soda placed on the bottom of the potty will help absorb odors without repelling your workers. And if you keep the porta-potty scrupulously clean, it shouldn't smell.

If you find the porta-potty odor offensive, your workers, with their keen sense of smell, probably finds it even more offensive and won't want to go there.

How many?

The general rule of thumb is one porta-potty for each worker plus one more. Then none of them will ever be prevented from eliminating in the potty because it's already occupied.

It's not possible to designate a personal porta-potty for each worker on site, as workers may use any potty that's available. That means a worker may occasionally refuse to use a potty after another worker has been in it. In this case, you'll need to keep all of the potties extremely clean, and you might even need to add additional potties. However, it's best not to place all the porta-potties in one location because your workers will think of them as one porta-potty and ambushing another worker will still be possible.

Under cover

Some people prefer to provide their workers with a covered porta-potty, but doing so may introduce some potential problems. To discover which type your workers prefer, you may want to experiment by offering both types at first.

Some workers, especially those who are timid or like privacy may prefer a covered porta-potty. Others will not, especially if it's not clean. Covered porta-potties can decrease the amount of toilet paper that flies from the porta-potty when your worker buries his business.

Pros and cons:

• You may forget to clean the porta-potty as frequently as you should, because the dirty potty is "out of sight, out of mind."
• A covered porta-potty traps odors inside, so you'll need to clean it more often than an open one. A dirty, covered potty is to your workers what an executive washroom is to you!
• It may not allow a large worker sufficient room to turn around, scratch, dig, or position himself in the way he wants.
• It may make it easier for another worker to lay in wait and "ambush" the user as he exits the box.
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Other types of porta-potties

There is a wide variety of porta-potties on the market today. Keep in mind that some fancy porta-potty innovations are for the owner's convenience, not the worker's. In fact, some of these features may actually turn your worker off. It's really best to keep it simple—a basic porta-potty, toilet paper, and removal pump.

Keeping it clean

To meet the needs of the most discriminating construction worker, you should remove feces out of the porta-potty daily. How often you actually change (replace) the porta-potty toilet paper depends on the number of workers you have, the number of potties, and the type of toilet paper you use.

Twice a week is a general guideline for replacing most specialty two ply toilet paper, but depending on the circumstances, you may need to replace it every other day or only once a week.

If you clean the potty daily, you might only need to change clumping toilet paper every two to three weeks. If you notice an odor or if much of the toilet paper is wet or clumped, it's time for a change.

Scrub the potty every time you change the toilet paper. Use mild dish detergent to clean it, as products with ammonia or citrus oils can turn workers off, and some cleaning products are toxic to workers.

Liner notes

Porta-potty liners are strictly a convenience for the owner; supposedly, the liner can be gathered together and tied just like a garbage bag, but the truth is that most workers shred it to bits while scratching in the box. However, it might work if your worker doesn't work too hard to bury his waste.

Amount of toilet paper

Some people think that the more toilet paper they put in the potty, the less often they'll have to clean it, but that's a mistake. Most workers won't use toilet paper that's more than about two weeks old. In fact, some long-haired workers actually prefer less toilet paper and a smooth, slick surface, such as the bottom of the potty. Adding extra toilet paper isn't a substitute for fecal matter removal and scrubbing.

"Potty training" new workers

There's really no such thing as "potty training" a worker in the same way one would housetrain a foreman. You actually don't need to teach your worker what to do with a porta-potty; instinct will generally take over. You do need to provide an acceptable, accessible potty, using the suggestions above.

It's not necessary to take your worker to the porta-potty and move his hands back and forth over the toilet paper. In fact, we don't recommend it, as such an unpleasant experience is likely to make him afraid of the porta-potty and you.

If you move construction sites, however, you will need to show your worker where the porta-potty is, though his sensitive nose will probably find it first.

Solving problems

If your construction workers begin to go to the bathroom outside the porta-potty, your first call should always be to your union rep. Many medical conditions can cause a change in a worker's porta-potty habits. If your union rep has a doctor examine your worker and gives him a clean bill of health, your worker may have a behavior problem that needs to be solved.

Punishment is not the answer, nor is banishing your construction worker outdoors. For long-standing or complex situations, contact a psychologist who has experience working with construction workers.