Issue link: http://psai.uberflip.com/i/1299190
ASSOCIATIONINSIGHT Portable Sanitation Association International News BIWEEKLY EDITION OCTOBER 14, 2020 Page 12 Continued on page 13 Questions from the Field The PSAI fields many questions from people within the portable sanitation industry as well as the general public. Here are a few we've answered recently. Q: OSHA regulations require potable water for hand wash stations. Yet all hand wash units have a "non potable" decal on them, and I have an OSHA inspector threatening to cite me. What can I tell him? —John W., safety director for a west coast contractor A: Great question! Tell the OSHA inspector you have consulted the Portable Sanitation Association International (PSAI), the world's largest trade and standard-developing organization for the industry, regarding potable water in hand sinks. The PSAI recognizes that the OSHA standard requires "potable water." However, since the OSHA standard was developed in the 1970s, the evolution of portable sanitation industry standards has deemed any water—however clean—that does not come from a food grade truck to be "non-potable." This designation as "non-potable" is correct even though the water used in hand wash equipment typically transfers from a potable source into the service truck for delivery to the site. Once potable water has been placed into a non-food grade service truck, it ceases to be potable. Because the clean water on a service truck is technically non-potable, the PSAI thus recommends that stickers such as the ones the OSHA inspector observed on your site be placed on hand wash units as an industry best practice. The PSAI can verify that food grade water trucks are not used for servicing portable sanitation equipment, and even if they were, the nature of that portable equipment would generally make the water unsuitable for drinking. The water is, however, clean and safe for hand washing and all other external uses. Q: We have a major customer that has been told that recirculating toilets are not as "hygienic" as a fresh water flush toilet. Does the PSAI have any guidance that I can use to help settle our customer's nerves?—Stefan C, international portable sanitation operator A: In general, a person taking care of their business inside a flushing restroom does not know—and cannot tell—whether the equipment they are using is freshwater flush or recirculating flush. So these questions usually arise when someone has "heard" that a recirculating flush toilet is not as desirable. Let's look at the facts. Both recirculating flush and fresh water flush units are important equipment that make good sanitation possible in nonsewered environments. Both are safe for consumers. Both are hygienic provided they are serviced according to manufacturer's instructions and cleaned inside the cabin using proper techniques and products. Both fully isolate waste and wastewater from users after flushing by using a flapper that closes off the opening into the tank. Generally, people who order a flushing restroom are provided with a recirculating flush unit because these units require less water, are less expensive to operate, and most authorities around the world accept them.