Issue link: http://psai.uberflip.com/i/1263317
3 COVID-19 GUIDELINES FOR PORTABLE SANITATION © Copyright 2020 by the PSAI. All rights reserved. Guidance for Work Sites For decades portable sanitation on job sites had been underpinned by standards published by OSHA and by ANSI/PSAI Z4.3 covering nonsewered waste disposal systems. 1 Beginning in the late winter of 2020, various agencies and associations began issuing guidance on preventing the spread of COVID-19. On May 19, the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) issued new guidance specifically for construction workers. This information focuses on how job site personnel and their employers can protect themselves and slow the spread of COVID-19. 2 Our growing body of knowledge about steps that are necessary to control the virus, taken together with the requirements of OSHA's General Duty Clause that employers must "furnish...employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees," 3 have led to the following guidance for job sites. Because it is unlikely that COVID-19 will ever be completely eradicated, there is no indication that a return to pre-COVID-19 conditions on job sites will be allowed even if a preventative vaccine is introduced. Consequently, leaders responsible for procuring portable sanitation and maintaining it on job sites should familiarize themselves with the guidance that follows and implement it for the foreseeable future. OSHA/CDC REQUIREMENTS GUIDANCE FOR JOB SITE LEADERS REGARDING PORTABLE SANITATION Limit close contact with others by maintaining a distance of at least 6 feet, when possible. • Ensure enough portable restroom units are on site so that lines do not form during breaks. • In no case should fewer units be present than the ANSI/PSAI Z4.3-2016 standard of 1 unit per 10 workers for a 40-hour work week. • When portable sanitation service technicians visit job sites, they will be wearing masks and face shields among other personal protective equipment (PPE). These will be left on while interacting within 6 feet of workers on the job site. Portable toilets should be cleaned and disinfected periodically through the shift, as well as at the beginning and end of every shift. • Toilets should be pumped no less than twice per week. 4 • Talk with your portable sanitation provider about the need for frequent disinfection of the toilets and the products that are effective against COVID-19 according to CDC and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 5 • Be sure to document in the service agreement or some other formal manner: (1) how often your portable sanitation provider will be on your site to provide service, (2) what cleaning products they will use, (3) whether they will leave products with you so that ongoing cleaning can occur between their visits to your site between services, and (4) how the cleaning will be documented. Employers should have a COVID-19 response plan to protect workers Ask to review your portable sanitation provider's plan and discuss how it will affect service to your site. Similarly, educate your provider about the provisions of your company's COVID-19 response plan so that your service technician can be informed about any special needs or concerns on the job site.