Construction doesn't necessarily stop just because it is winter. At most, work only slows down. Although there are a lot of challenges on a winter construction site, one of the most frustrating ones can be dealing with the portable toilet issues. The following tips can help you and your workers relieve yourself in comfort, even when the snow is flying.

Tip #1: Invest in heated units

Heated units are one of the best things you can do for the portable toilet situation. If your site has electrical access, these are simple to procure. Even if you don't have electrical access, heat is within reach. Many portable toilet companies provide generator packages, either gas or solar, that power the heater in the unit. To help conserve power, the heater fan only activates when someone enters the unit, then it powers down when they leave.

Tip #2: Request an entrance grate

A lot of the mess with a portable toilet in winter occurs when heavy work boots track in ice and mud, which then becomes a huge issue on the floor of the toilet unit. You can rent an entrance grate to counteract this problem. These are little more than a platform with a grated top outside of the toilet door. Workers can stomp and scrape the snow off their boots as they enter, leaving the mess outside. As an added benefit, the snow will fall through the grate so that a huge slushy puddle doesn't form at the toilet entrance.

Tip #3: Clean nightly

Even with heat and a grate, a small mess will get tracked into the toilet every day. Make sure you assign the job of cleanup to one or two members of the crew. You may not want to hose out the toilet if temps are below freezing, but you can use a deck brush to push out the worst of the mess. If there is a lot of mud, use a damp mop to remove as much as possible, and then a dry mop to get the floor nearly dry so it doesn't freeze overnight. Managing the mess daily prevents it from becoming a safety hazard.

Tip #4: Keep access open

You may need to schedule more frequent dumping from your construction site toilets, but this is only possible if access is kept open. Plow around the toilets after every snowfall. Do not allow snow to drift against them, since this can freeze the toilets to the ground and make them impossible to empty. Plus, keeping a clear path to and around the toilets cuts down on the amount of snow that gets tracked inside.

For more help, contact a portable toilet rental company in your area.

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