{"id":1958,"date":"2025-12-08T13:52:51","date_gmt":"2025-12-08T13:52:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/americanliquidwaste.com\/?p=1958"},"modified":"2025-12-08T13:53:23","modified_gmt":"2025-12-08T13:53:23","slug":"workplace-safety-and-osha-psai-show-hot-topic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/americanliquidwaste.com\/?p=1958","title":{"rendered":"Workplace Safety and OSHA \u2013 PSAI Show Hot Topic!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">Industry expert, Will Niccolls, Owner, Green Latrine, Seattle, WA, attended the <\/span><\/span><\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/psai.org\/psai-annual-convention-and-trade-show\/\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#1155cc\"><u>2025 Portable Sanitation Association International (PSAI) show<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"> in Florida in early November. Between the many equipment and supply vendors and service company operators, a vast wealth of knowledge was shared across the gamut of industry interests, from technological innovations to improved service practices. Here, Will reflects on his experience at the tradeshow and offers ALW readers an abundance of exceptional take-away information from discussions of one of this year&rsquo;s most popular topics for discussion at the event &mdash; workplace safety and OSHA compliance:&nbsp;<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size:16pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>Will Niccolls &ndash; A Word on the National PSAI Event<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><em>Unparalleled Learning Opportunities for Portable Restroom Services Teams<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">We&rsquo;ve had great success taking people from our company to this and other <\/span><\/span><\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/psai.org\/\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#1155cc\"><u>PSAI<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"> events. (Like &ldquo;the Edge PSAI in Scottsdale, AZ. We took 7 people to that one.) Exposure for our team to the learning opportunities at these events has been a wonderful investment for us. Instead of just taking the senior people, having more of the team getting exposed to the concepts presented is very valuable to us. They&rsquo;ve been getting to hear solutions from other operators in other parts of the country who are experiencing the same challenges and are interested in the same issues.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size:16pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>Workplace Safety and OSHA&nbsp;<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><em>PSAI Takeaway &amp; Wisdom from Industry Expert, Will Niccolls<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">Combining discussion points from the PSAI event and Will&rsquo;s deep knowledge of worksite safety in portable restroom placement, use, and maintenance, he recommends that operators focus on these five key points:&nbsp;<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size:13.999999999999998pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#434343\"><strong>1. Portable Toilet Placement<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">Unit placement is probably the most important piece of the process. There are lots of considerations from the users&rsquo; side and technicians&rsquo; side.<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#990000\"> <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">The more factors considered in advance, the better the placements of units will be.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>Easy Access: <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">Toilet units can be placed farther from users where it&rsquo;s preferred that they&rsquo;re out of sight at events where people don&rsquo;t want to see them, such as weddings, parties, etc. But, on jobsites, it&rsquo;s a very good idea to provide handy access. Per OSHA, toilets <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><em>must be<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"> readily accessible, and never unreasonably restricted, within 200 feet horizontally from every worker on the jobsite.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>Hazard-free:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"> Where there is potential for hazards to develop from weather, such as mud, ice, or snow in northern climates, both users and service techs need to be able to access them safely, and with as little disruption to others as possible. For example, a big portable toilet service truck should not be in the way of neighbors.&nbsp;<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>Lighting: <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">Ideally, you can place units under a streetlight, work light, or other overhead light. Or, you&rsquo;ll need to employ some other means of bringing light into areas where toilet units are placed to prevent trip or fall hazards. Per OSHA, toilet units must be well lit, including during evening work.&nbsp;<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>Hose Length:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"> Most portable toilet trucks carry 20-60 feet of hose. The toilet units have to be placed within one vacuum hose length, where the pump truck can be parked on level ground for servicing each unit on the site. If not, the volume of waste in the tank won&rsquo;t allow optimal filling and the operator may have issues servicing all the units.&nbsp;<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size:13.999999999999998pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#434343\"><strong>2. Personal Protective Equipment<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">Your company policy on PPE may differ from the job site requirements of a specific client. High-visibility clothing, such as a vest, T-shirt, or jacket may be required, as well as eye protection and\/or ear protection. One client we have specifies the kind of hard hat our technicians are required to wear. Another requires our techs to get certified by their safety officer and to put their job site safety sticker on our hard hats.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">Under OSHA regulations, employees servicing portable toilet units on worksites must wear the proper PPE. That includes safety glasses, boots, and gloves. In some cases, it may also include face shields, or even respirators.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size:13.999999999999998pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#434343\"><strong>3. Equipment Selection<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">You may be bringing standard portable toilets or rolling elevator units on casters that you can wheel into an elevator in a high rise. Whatever units you have, they are probably built to comply with federal OSHA rules and regulations. But, individual state requirements may vary. They may require, for example, that the units be completely enclosed. So, your units may meet OSHA regs but not meet your own state&rsquo;s legal requirements. Ensure the units you order comply with <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><em>all<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"> laws from <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><em>all<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"> governing oversight agencies &mdash; local to federal.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">Another caveat, different requirements may apply to the design, placement, and maintenance of units for <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><em>some<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"> purposes. For example, an OSHA-approved flyable toilet unit may be required to have handwash containment trays. Or, there may be specs on how it is to be connected for lifting on a tower crane (metal harness, etc.)&nbsp;<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">Or, where units are used on some large building sites, like a new hospital, skyscraper, public works project, bridge construction job, etc., the project is likely to have its own safety compliance officer. Your portable sanitation team should coordinate with that individual to ensure you are abiding by any unique safety requirements of that individual site.&nbsp;<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size:13.999999999999998pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#434343\"><strong>4. PSAI Guidelines and Industry Best Practices&nbsp;<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">Association guidelines, industry Best Practices, other industry standards, and certification training criteria for service technicians are all critical to safety on job sites and to ensuring OSHA compliance. From laws on adequate ventilation to mitigate odors to PPE and safety training for service workers handling the units, to equipment maintenance training, to keeping clean, sanitary, stocked units, your team should be familiar with all federal regulations to ensure compliance.&nbsp;<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">That may come, in part, from PSAI or other organizations. Larger construction contractors often do their own training. They may even require toilet rental providers to send their techs to their in-house safety compliance training.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size:13.999999999999998pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#434343\"><strong>5. The Vacuum Pump Truck&nbsp;<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">As for the pump truck itself, it&rsquo;s a top priority to keep the trucks safe by doing all preventive maintenance promptly and all other tasks to keep the pump and the truck&rsquo;s overall functioning in excellent condition. Because no jobsite supervisor would allow an oil leak from a portable toilet service truck, or, worst-case, a waste compartment leak. OSHA requires a strict routine of waste disposal that is in compliance with local laws.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size:16pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>Best Practices and OSHA Regulations<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><em>Before You Place and Maintain Portable Rental Toilets on Jobsites<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">OSHA regulations govern portable rental toilet operations on worksites, and those supersede generally accepted industry practices, contractors&rsquo; internal site safety policies, and toilet rental businesses&rsquo; operating standards. Violating OSHA requirements for portable toilet management on a jobsite can lead to substantial financial penalties. NOTE: It is recommended that you obtain adequate portable restroom business liability insurance to protect your company and yourself in cases of adverse outcomes due to accidental noncompliance.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">Teaching the specifics of how to achieve and consistently maintain industry Best Practices and OSHA compliance is the domain of experts across the field of well-experienced portable toilet rental business owners, PSAI professionals, and other industry specialists. You are strongly advised to keep your knowledge updated from <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><em>all<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"> these resources to capture the best and most current information and ensure the highest quality of performance by your team.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><em>For information on future PSAI events, visit <\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/psai.org\/\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#1155cc\"><em><u>psai.org<\/u><\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><em>. For information about Will Niccoll&rsquo;s Green Latrine eco-friendly solutions in portable toilet rental service, call 206-984-6931, or visit <\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/gogreenlatrine.com\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#1155cc\"><em><u>gogreenlatrine.com<\/u><\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><em>.<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Industry expert, Will Niccolls, Owner, Green Latrine, Seattle, WA, attended the 2025 Portable Sanitation Association International (PSAI) show in Florida in early November. Between the many equipment and supply vendors and service company operators, a vast wealth of knowledge was shared across the gamut of industry interests, from technological innovations to improved service practices. Here, &hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"> <a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/americanliquidwaste.com\/?p=1958\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Workplace Safety and OSHA \u2013 PSAI Show Hot Topic!<\/span> Read More &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1960,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1958","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/americanliquidwaste.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1958","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/americanliquidwaste.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/americanliquidwaste.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americanliquidwaste.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americanliquidwaste.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1958"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/americanliquidwaste.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1958\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1959,"href":"https:\/\/americanliquidwaste.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1958\/revisions\/1959"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americanliquidwaste.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1960"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/americanliquidwaste.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1958"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americanliquidwaste.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1958"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americanliquidwaste.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1958"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}