Universally despised porta-potties will soon be a thing of the past on large construction sites in B.C.
Thousands of construction workers across the province, union and non-union, will be experiencing drastically improved sanitary conditions thanks to new regulations requiring flush toilets and running water on worksites with 25 employees or more.
The requirement for flush toilets on large construction sites means workers building BC’s next generation of major infrastructure will have much improved washroom facilities along with running water for handwashing.
The new WorkSafeBC regulation, which comes into effect on October 1, comes following a three-year campaign from the BC Building Trades called ‘Get Flushed’. Thousands of letters were sent to Premier David Eby and Labour Minister Harry Bains, imploring them to improve sanitary conditions on construction sites.
Construction workers on large projects can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that they won’t have to face the daily frustration of using porta-potties which are inadequate in terms of providing readily accessible, safe and clean toilet, hand hygiene and washing facilities. ■
