Oregon OSHA jobsite toilet requirements, explained for Bend contractors
The exact counts, the handwashing rule, the mobile-crew exception, and what a compliance officer looks at when they walk a site.
How many toilets does Oregon OSHA require on a construction site?
Oregon OSHA requires one toilet on a jobsite with 20 or fewer workers. One toilet seat and one urinal for every 40 workers on sites with 20 or more. And one seat and one urinal for every 50 workers on sites with 200 or more.
The rule is 29 CFR 1926.51(c) Table D-1, adopted by Oregon OSHA in Division 3, Subdivision D, along with Oregon's own OAR 437-003-0020 on toilets.
| Number of employees | Minimum facilities |
|---|---|
| 20 or fewer | 1 toilet |
| 20 or more | 1 toilet seat and 1 urinal per 40 workers |
| 200 or more | 1 toilet seat and 1 urinal per 50 workers |
A standard portable toilet with a urinal counts as one seat and one urinal, so one unit satisfies the rule for crews up to 40; two units for crews of 41 to 80.
The mobile crew exception
Under 1926.51(c)(4), the toilet count does not apply to mobile crews that have transportation readily available to nearby toilet facilities. A two-person service truck that moves between jobs all day is a mobile crew. A framing crew parked at one address for three weeks is not.
Oregon OSHA compliance officers read "readily available" narrowly: a toilet ten minutes away by a truck that is in use is not readily available.
Handwashing, drinking water and sanitary condition
Section 1926.51(f) requires washing facilities with soap and towels or air dryers where employees handle harmful materials; on most Bend sites that means a hand wash station near the lunch area. Section 1926.51(a) requires potable drinking water. Oregon OSHA also requires toilets to be kept in a sanitary condition, which is why weekly service is written into every jobsite rental.
- Hand wash station with soap and paper towels within easy reach of the toilet.
- Weekly pumping and sanitizing, more often for crews over 15 or in July and August.
- Toilet paper stocked; a unit with no paper is cited as unsanitary.
- Door latch working, unit level, not placed in a trench or under a hoist path.
General industry and agriculture are different
Shops, warehouses and offices follow 29 CFR 1910.141 Table J-1 instead: one water closet for 1–15 employees, two for 16–35, three for 36–55, four for 56–80, five for 81–110, six for 111–150, and one more per 40 above that. Farms follow Oregon OSHA OAR 437-004-1110: one toilet and one handwashing facility per 20 workers, within a quarter-mile or five-minute walk.
Our recommendation versus the legal minimum
The OSHA table is a legal floor, not a comfort level. Tony Rental Works recommends one porta potty per 10 to 15 workers on full-shift jobsites, because a single unit is out of service for 15 minutes every week. Confirm the legal count with Oregon OSHA consultation.
The table is a floor. We recommend one unit per 10–15 workers on sites where the crew works a full shift, because a single unit is out of service for 15 minutes every week and a line at 7 AM costs more than a second unit. Confirm the legal count for your site with your Oregon OSHA consultation office; this guide is not legal advice.
Questions people ask us before they book
Is a porta potty required on every construction site in Oregon?
A toilet is required on every site with employees unless the crew is mobile with ready transportation to a nearby toilet. For a fixed site, one portable toilet meets the rule for up to 20 workers.
Does Oregon OSHA require a hand wash station?
Washing facilities are required where employees handle harmful materials (1926.51(f)), which covers concrete, treated lumber, solvents and most finish work. A hand wash station next to the unit is the simplest way to comply.
How often must a jobsite porta potty be cleaned?
The rule says sanitary condition, not a frequency. Oregon OSHA inspectors treat weekly service as the baseline; busier sites need more.
Do homeowners building their own house need a toilet for subs?
If subcontractors' employees work on the site, the rule applies to their employers, and in practice the GC or owner-builder provides the unit. One standard unit covers it.
What does an inspector check on the toilet?
Count versus crew size, paper and sanitizer stocked, working latch, level placement, odor and cleanliness, and a washing facility where harmful materials are handled.
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