| Portable Restroom Operators in Canada note Similarities in Portable Sanitation Industry |
Canadian portable restroom operators face many of the same issues as portable sanitation
professionals in the United States. Most site a lack of regulation and or enforcement as the biggest
concern as did U.S. restroom professionals.
professionals in the United States. Most site a lack of regulation and or enforcement as the biggest
concern as did U.S. restroom professionals.
To the north of the United States, operating a portable restroom company in Ontario, Canada near the city of
Toronto, Bill Lunshof of Ampot Portable Toilets describes the portable restroom industry as having many
similarities to their southern colleagues.
Outside a period of six to eight weeks where temperatures can drop to as low as 40 degrees below zero,
construction runs year around, while the special event market offers portable restroom rental opportunities during
a period of about four months.
Although stringent labor laws require the use of flushing or recirculating portable restrooms to be provided at
construction sites, Lunshof says that enforcement is sporadic and seems to be implemented only on high profile
jobs. If enforced, labor laws also stipulate that hand washing be made available and that portable restrooms be
provided with a trap, preventing the user from seeing the waste collected in the tank. In addition, facilities are to
have heat, a task that Lunshof says is really only available in trailer type units.
Even with demanding regulations, Bill estimates that only about 30% of the market is served with flushing portable
restrooms and that the drop tank is still the standard in the construction market. Hand washing facilities are often
replaced by waterless, hand sanitizers without incident, and the use of heated trailers has only presented a market
for about 200 units in a market that exceeds four million people.
Most of the codes, if violated and caught will find the contractor with an order to correct, given a certain period of
time which allows contractors to rent the less expensive drop tank unit rather than stepping up to a flush style
portable restroom.
Billing for rental is either on a 28-day cycle or monthly and for the most part in arrears, much the same as is what
is done in the U.S. market.
The 20-year portable restroom veteran says that area rental rates range from a low of $67.71 (U.S.) on multiple unit
jobs to as much as $105.33 (U.S.) on single unit rentals. Route sizes differ according to density but average 45-50
units per day.
In the Province of Nova Scotia, Allan Baird of Baird Septic Tank Service describes a region that is quite different
from their Ontario neighbors, noting that in regard to portable restrooms there are few regulations in place and even
less enforcement of the regulations that are in place. Nova Scotia is located on the northeast corner of the North
American continent with a population of 937,000. Nearly 321,000 people within the province reside in the capital
city of Halifax.
Baird who has been in the portable sanitation business for 20 years, serves as the Canadian representative to the
Portable Sanitation Association International (PSAI) and is one of the founding members of the Septic Tank
Pumpers Association of Nova Scotia (SPANS). “Our association has been working to get regulations put into place
with the provincial government,” explains Baird. “We are in constant contact and hope to have certification of
operators in place within the next year or two.” According to Baird there is currently no licensing of portable
restroom operators and the only real requirement to start conducting business is to register with the province.
Even with regulations for portable restrooms in place, the issue of enforcement remains cause for concern. Baird
first encountered objections from the provincial government when they cited a lack of funds to police regulations.
Now, Baird along with SPANS has proposed, that building inspectors be charged with the responsibility of
verifying portable restrooms are on a site during construction which would negate any additional policing costs.
“How long could it take for an inspector to look to his left and then to his right to see if a portable restroom was
on a site?”
Void of governmental regulations the firm has recorded success in creating standards within their market,
introducing hand wash facilities that have readily caught on in the special event market and is now making its way
into construction. They further encourage the recognition of the ANSI standard that recommends one portable
restroom for every ten workers on a job site. Differing from Ontario, the use of standard static portable restrooms
is the accepted policy rather than flushing mechanisms.
To the west in British Columbia and working in the southern tier of the province, Ted Hoover of Maple Leaf
Disposal notes that a lack of regulation with portable restrooms exists in their area as well. Although Hoover
acknowledges that some regulations should be in place, he explained that there were no regulations stipulating the
number of workers to portable restrooms on construction sites or requirements for hand wash facilities.
Toronto, Bill Lunshof of Ampot Portable Toilets describes the portable restroom industry as having many
similarities to their southern colleagues.
Outside a period of six to eight weeks where temperatures can drop to as low as 40 degrees below zero,
construction runs year around, while the special event market offers portable restroom rental opportunities during
a period of about four months.
Although stringent labor laws require the use of flushing or recirculating portable restrooms to be provided at
construction sites, Lunshof says that enforcement is sporadic and seems to be implemented only on high profile
jobs. If enforced, labor laws also stipulate that hand washing be made available and that portable restrooms be
provided with a trap, preventing the user from seeing the waste collected in the tank. In addition, facilities are to
have heat, a task that Lunshof says is really only available in trailer type units.
Even with demanding regulations, Bill estimates that only about 30% of the market is served with flushing portable
restrooms and that the drop tank is still the standard in the construction market. Hand washing facilities are often
replaced by waterless, hand sanitizers without incident, and the use of heated trailers has only presented a market
for about 200 units in a market that exceeds four million people.
Most of the codes, if violated and caught will find the contractor with an order to correct, given a certain period of
time which allows contractors to rent the less expensive drop tank unit rather than stepping up to a flush style
portable restroom.
Billing for rental is either on a 28-day cycle or monthly and for the most part in arrears, much the same as is what
is done in the U.S. market.
The 20-year portable restroom veteran says that area rental rates range from a low of $67.71 (U.S.) on multiple unit
jobs to as much as $105.33 (U.S.) on single unit rentals. Route sizes differ according to density but average 45-50
units per day.
In the Province of Nova Scotia, Allan Baird of Baird Septic Tank Service describes a region that is quite different
from their Ontario neighbors, noting that in regard to portable restrooms there are few regulations in place and even
less enforcement of the regulations that are in place. Nova Scotia is located on the northeast corner of the North
American continent with a population of 937,000. Nearly 321,000 people within the province reside in the capital
city of Halifax.
Baird who has been in the portable sanitation business for 20 years, serves as the Canadian representative to the
Portable Sanitation Association International (PSAI) and is one of the founding members of the Septic Tank
Pumpers Association of Nova Scotia (SPANS). “Our association has been working to get regulations put into place
with the provincial government,” explains Baird. “We are in constant contact and hope to have certification of
operators in place within the next year or two.” According to Baird there is currently no licensing of portable
restroom operators and the only real requirement to start conducting business is to register with the province.
Even with regulations for portable restrooms in place, the issue of enforcement remains cause for concern. Baird
first encountered objections from the provincial government when they cited a lack of funds to police regulations.
Now, Baird along with SPANS has proposed, that building inspectors be charged with the responsibility of
verifying portable restrooms are on a site during construction which would negate any additional policing costs.
“How long could it take for an inspector to look to his left and then to his right to see if a portable restroom was
on a site?”
Void of governmental regulations the firm has recorded success in creating standards within their market,
introducing hand wash facilities that have readily caught on in the special event market and is now making its way
into construction. They further encourage the recognition of the ANSI standard that recommends one portable
restroom for every ten workers on a job site. Differing from Ontario, the use of standard static portable restrooms
is the accepted policy rather than flushing mechanisms.
To the west in British Columbia and working in the southern tier of the province, Ted Hoover of Maple Leaf
Disposal notes that a lack of regulation with portable restrooms exists in their area as well. Although Hoover
acknowledges that some regulations should be in place, he explained that there were no regulations stipulating the
number of workers to portable restrooms on construction sites or requirements for hand wash facilities.
The Sanitation Journal is a monthly trade publication that caters to the portable restroom industry. Each month
thousands of portable restroom operators utilize information from the Journal to aid in business decisions.
Subscribe today and make sure you never miss an issue.
thousands of portable restroom operators utilize information from the Journal to aid in business decisions.
Subscribe today and make sure you never miss an issue.
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