OSHA Porta Potty Requirements for Ohio Job Sites
OSHA requires at least 1 toilet on any construction site with 20 or fewer workers, 1 toilet seat and 1 urinal per 40 workers above that, and 1 per 50 above 200. Washing facilities are required when workers handle harmful contaminants. Here is how that works on a real Ohio job site.
By Cameron, owner of Cameron Rental Works. Reviewed October 12, 2026.
Live answer during business hours. Online quotes get a call or text back within 30 minutes, Mon–Sat.
What does OSHA 1926.51 require for toilets?
OSHA 29 CFR 1926.51(c) requires toilets on every construction job site, in numbers set by Table D-1: 1 toilet for 20 or fewer workers; 1 toilet seat and 1 urinal per 40 workers for 20 or more; and 1 toilet seat and 1 urinal per 50 workers for 200 or more. Sites without sewers need chemical toilets or similar units.
| Number of employees | Minimum facilities (Table D-1) |
|---|---|
| 20 or fewer | 1 |
| 20 or more | 1 toilet seat and 1 urinal per 40 workers |
| 200 or more | 1 toilet seat and 1 urinal per 50 workers |
Official text: 29 CFR 1926.51 on eCFR. Ohio private employers fall under federal OSHA; public-sector employers fall under Ohio's public employee program. A standard porta potty has both a seat and a urinal, so one unit counts as one of each.
Is the OSHA minimum enough?
The OSHA minimum keeps a site legal, but it is not always enough to keep a unit clean between weekly services. A standard unit's 60-gallon tank handles about 200 uses. Twenty workers using one unit twice a day for five days is 200 uses, so the tank is full by the fifth day.
That is why we recommend 1 unit per 10 workers on a 40-hour week with weekly service, or a second weekly visit. The recommendation is ours, not OSHA's. See the porta potty calculator for crew sizing.
When does OSHA require handwashing on a job site?
OSHA 1926.51(f) requires washing facilities, kept sanitary and supplied with soap or cleanser and towels, wherever construction work exposes employees to paints, coatings, herbicides, insecticides or other harmful contaminants. Painting, roofing, coating and demolition crews should plan a handwashing station from the first day.
Most of our Akron contractors simply add a handwashing station to every unit bank; it is cheaper than arguing about whether a task triggers the rule.
Does OSHA say how close the toilet has to be?
The construction standard does not set a walking distance, but OSHA's sanitation guidance expects toilets to be readily accessible, and its farm field standard sets a quarter-mile limit. On large Ohio sites, we place unit banks by work zone so no crew walks more than a few minutes.
Mobile crews (road, utility, pipeline) often need units that move with them. Ask about moving units at the weekly service visit. Rentals for crews: construction porta potty rental in Akron.