COVID-19 Safety Tips for Porta Potties

Tips for the Safe Use of Porta Potties during the COVID-19 Pandemic

By renting a Porta Potty for a construction site, an event or venue, you are providing a sanitary restroom solution, which is an important first step towards reducing the spread of the COVID-19 Virus. Below are some additional steps we suggest be taken to minimize the exposure of your users to pathogens (virus, bacteria, fungus, algae, mold) and to help slow the spread of the pandemic.

1.  Make Face Masks Mandatory  

A facemask is nobodies favorite wardrobe addition, but COVID-19 is easily transmissible via contact with the saliva from an infected individual. Basically for a virus to spread two things are needed, a way for the virus to exit an infected individual (typically in bodily fluid; blood, urine, saliva, etc.) and a point to enter a healthy individual. The eye is the most common way for many virus to enter the human body. Thus speaking at close distance without a mask can be sufficient contact to spread this virus and simply being in the same room as an infected individual that coughs can easily infect every healthy person in the entire room.  The COVID-19 virus is stable in air and is considered an airborne virus and a microscopic droplet of saliva landing in your eye or landing on your hand with, which you then rub your eye, is all that is required for the virus to spread.
 
A mask prevents infected saliva from becoming air born in the first and is thus effective at significantly reducing the spread of COVID-19. Getting vaccinated is the best way to prevent getting ill from COVID-19, however it will NOT prevent you from contracting the virus. In fact, all the vaccine does is allow you body to produce an antigen which takes the body two weeks to do, this antigen is essential for the body to begin fighting the virus immediately. The antigen attaches to the protein on the outside of an COVID-19 infected cell which signals to the immune system that the cell is a threat and must be killed. It is two weeks while the body is producing the antigen that COVID_19 does serious  and frequently life threatening damage to the lungs.
 
A vaccinated individual can have COVID-19 and be completely asymptomatic (have no symptoms) thus they can unknowingly spread the virus to all unmasked and unvaccinated individuals with which they have reasonably close contact or happen to cough in the same room. GET THE VACCINE

2.  Position Port Potties at Least 6 Feet Apart

​At sites, events and venues that require more than one porta potty, it is best to pick an open flat location that has enough space to allow for at least 6 ft. between each mobile toilet. Setting up toilets at separate locations within your site is one possibility, but keep in mind that you must have at least one ADA Handicap Accessible restroom at each of the sites. If you have a location on your site or venue that allows for the toilets to be set up with minimum distance of 6 ft apart, you can avoid added costs of putting barriers up between each porta potty.  Posting signs to remind users to keep a distance of at least 6 ft. apart might be useful to discourage users from congregating around the restrooms.

3.  Mark off Lines with Positions 6 Feet Apart for Each Porta Potty  

Concerts, festivals, and wedding are just a few events and venues where lines for restrooms are customary. We recommend that you make designated lines for each porta potty with marks every 6 ft to indicate where each person should be waiting. It will help encourage restroom users to follow social distancing guidelines and be a safer and less stressful experience for everyone.  ​

4.  Maintain an Hourly Cleaning & Sanitation Schedule

Maintaining a regular cleaning and sanitation process is key here. We recommend that cleaning followed by disinfecting of Porta Potties be done each hour to significantly reduce exposure to germs for users. Having at least one staff member dedicated to the maintenance the Porta Potty at each location is recommended and suggest that they perform a spot cleaning and thoroughly spaying disinfectant to sanitize the areas where user contact. This will help reduce the risk of exposure to germs.

5.  Handwashing & Hand Sanitizer Station​

When a site, event or venues that provide standard porta potty, which do not include a sink, should provide a handwashing and hand sanitizer station. It is important that everyone washes their hands with soap immediately after using the restroom. The reason is any germs that were transferred to the hands while using the restroom can easily be transfer to the face or eyes. The eyes are in fact easiest and most common way in which to become infected by a virus, which is why we also recommend the use of a hand sanitizing station for added protection.  Addition hand sanitizer stations ideally should be located throughout the venue or site to allow people to frequently kill any germs with which they may have had contact.