Portable toilets are often hired throughout the year for a variety of occasions such as sporting events, festivals, campgrounds, corporate events, construction sites and a host of many others. While the cold winds of winter are building momentum, construction projects are still ongoing across the country and the site engineers and workers are confronted with the same challenges such as such as cold stress, slippery surfaces, reduced productivity, protective gear challenges, limited daylight and delays in schedule.
It is common to find portable toilets on these sites and the use of these comes with their set challenges, especially in freezing temperatures. Let’s look at some of the difficulties in using a portable toilet and some of the effective ways to deal with these challenges.
Navigating the common challenges in using site portable toilets during winter
1) The challenge of using a portable toilet with materials that are not resistant to cold :
- Solution: When hiring a portable toilet for your construction project it is important to choose one constructed from temperature-resistant materials. These mobile toilets are often designed to withstand freezing conditions and maintain a more suitable interior temperature for users.
2) The challenge of limited Insulation or heating in a given portable toilet
2)Solution: Choosing a portable toilet that has some form of built-in insulation to ensure heat is retained is the most ideal solution to comfortably using these units during winter. A toilet with the appropriate insulation will ensure the internal temperature is comfortable for use while preventing the freezing of waste.
3) The challenge of the rapid filling up of waste tanks:
- Solution: It is common knowledge that the winter weather can accelerate the filling of waste tanks due to a slower rate of decomposition in cold conditions. To combat this, there has to be more frequent servicing and waste removal to prevent unpleasant overflows and maintain a hygienic environment for the site workers. When hiring portable toilets for your construction project, it is important to ask the toilet hire companies how often these units will be serviced while being used on the site. Mobile toilets that are often serviced are less likely to have waste tanks that fill up so quickly.
4) The challenge of slippery toilet floors:
- Solution: Wet and icy conditions on construction sites can pose a risk to users of portable toilets. The winter weather is usually known for wet and icy surfaces and these could always be a cause for concern for site managers and the workers. To combat this issue, portable toilets should have anti-slip flooring materials. You can always ask the portable hire company to provide units that are built with these anti-slip surfaces.
5) The challenge of portable toilets on unstable surfaces:
- Solution: Wet and snowy weather conditions can create a temporary unequal surface with erosion or snow residue. The site manager can effectively work with the toilet hire company to identify and position the units on stable and level ground to prevent tipping, especially in icy conditions.
6) The challenge of a winter storm:
- Solution: The average weight of most portable toilets is 87 kg and it could be considered lightweight during a winter storm. These cold winds can make using a portable toilet an uncomfortable experience with shaky effects and frightening noise generated from all angles. Erecting wind barriers can shield users from the harsh elements of positioning the units where there are some form of shields o shelter will ensure the user has a great toilet experience,
8) The challenge of reduced daylight during the winter months
- Daylight in midsummer is around 18 hours and this drops down to 6.5 hours in midwinter. It is almost a reduction of daylight by 12.5 hours. Reduced daylight hours during winter can make using portable toilets in the dark a challenge. Hiring portable toilets with adequate lighting is essential to ensure the safe and convenient use of these units,
Construction projects have to continue through the winter months to ensure deadlines are met and sufficient housing, infrastructures or social amenities are provided to people. The challenges of remaining on the set project schedule or timeline are ever-present and overcoming these is reliant on several factors. The sufficient provision of the appropriate portable toilet is important to ensuring the safety and productivity of workers. Using mobile toilets during these cold and icy conditions has their own constraints and taking steps to address the challenges presented can immensely improve the experience for workers and ensure that sanitation remains a top priority.
