ASSOCIATIONINSIGHT
Portable Sanitation Association International News
BIWEEKLY EDITION JUNE 10, 2020
Page 7
Continued on page 8
Implications for Portable Sanitation
in New CDC Guidance for Construction Workers
By Karleen Kos, PSAI Executive Director
On May 19, the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) issued
new guidance for construction workers. The document focuses
on how workers and their employers can protect themselves
and slow the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
The contents have implications for portable sanitation
providers.
The number of COVID-19 cases is still growing, although more
slowly than earlier this year. Experts predict another large spike
of cases in the fall of 2020 and winter of 2021. This new CDC
guidance, therefore, is expected to be relevant for construction
sites for at least the next six to nine months and possibly
longer.
There is no indication that a return to pre-COVID-19 conditions
will be allowed, even if a preventative vaccine is introduced. Consequently, portable sanitation companies should
familiarize themselves with the guidance and be prepared to counsel customers based on its requirements.
The guidance offers the following ideas, among others, to construction workers and their leaders.
Guidance Implications for Portable Sanitation Companies
Limit close contact with others by maintaining
a distance of at least six feet, when possible.
Your service technicians will need to observe social distancing
on job sites. It is also advisable for them to wear at least a KN-
95 mask and/or face shield when providing service on job sites
for their own protection. These should be left on if they are
interacting within six feet of customers.
Wear cloth face masks when social distancing
is not possible, but do NOT substitute them if
higher grade masks are needed for protection
on the job site as personal protective
equipment (PPE).
Construction workers may be wearing face coverings
when interacting with your service technician. Provide
communications training for your workers to help them learn
ways of being effective on job sites when they cannot see the
expression on others' faces and when others cannot see their
expression either.
Portable toilets should be cleaned and
disinfected periodically through the shift, as
well as at the beginning and end of every shift
Talk with customers about the need for frequent disinfection
of toilets and products that are effective against COVID-19
according to CDC and the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA). Be sure to document: 1. that you had this discussion and
made the customer aware; 2. how often you will be providing
service—ideally not less than twice a week; 3. what was
decided about who would do the cleaning between services;
4. who would provide the cleaning products; and 5. how the
cleaning would be documented.
