(a) An adequate supply of potable water shall be provided
in all places of employment.
(b) Portable containers used to dispense drinking water
shall be capable of being tightly closed and equipped with a
tap. Water shall not be dipped from containers.
(c) Any container used to distribute drinking water shall
be clearly marked as to the nature of its contents and not
used for any other purpose.
(d) The common drinking cup is prohibited.
(e) Where single service cups (to be used but once) are
supplied, both a sanitary container for the unused cups and a
receptacle for disposing of the used cups shall be provided.
(f) All water containers used to furnish drinking water
shall be thoroughly cleaned at least once each week or more
often as conditions require.
(g) The requirements of this subsection do not apply to
mobile crews or to normally unattended work locations as long
as employees working at these locations have transportation
immediately available, within the normal course of their
duties, to nearby facilities otherwise meeting the
requirements of this section.
(h) The following definitions apply:
(i) Mobile crew: A work crew that routinely moves to a
different work location periodically. Normally a mobile crew
is not at the same location all day.
(ii) Normally unattended work location: An unattended
site that is visited occasionally by one or more employees.
(iii) Nearby facility: A sanitary facility that is
within three minutes travel by the transportation provided.
(iv) "Potable water" means water which meets the quality
standards for drinking purposes of state or local authority
having jurisdiction or water that meets the quality standards
prescribed by the United States Environmental Protection
Agency's National Interim Primary Drinking Water Regulations,
published in 40 CFR Part 141, and 40 CFR 147.2400.
(2) Wash water.
(a) Clean, tepid wash water, between 70 and 100 degrees
Fahrenheit, shall be provided at all construction sites.
(b) Individual hand towels shall be provided. Both a
sanitary container for the unused towels and a receptacle for
disposal of used towels shall be provided.
(c) Hand soap, industrial hand cleaner or similar
cleansing agents shall be provided. Cleansing agents shall be
adequate to remove any paints, coatings, herbicides,
insecticides or other contaminants.
(d) The requirements of this subsection do not apply to
mobile crews or to normally unattended work locations as long
as employees working at these locations have transportation
immediately available, within the normal course of their
duties, to nearby facilities otherwise meeting the
requirements of this section.
(e) Gasoline or solvents shall not be used for personal
cleaning.
(f) Wash water areas will be maintained in a dry
condition. Slipping or other hazards shall be eliminated from
the wash water area before it is acceptable for use.
(3) Nonpotable water.
(a) Outlets for nonpotable water, such as water for
industrial or firefighting purposes only, shall be identified
by signs meeting the requirements of Part E of this chapter,
to indicate clearly that the water is unsafe and is not to be
used for drinking, washing or cooking purposes.
(b) There shall be no cross-connection, open or
potential, between a system furnishing potable water, a system
furnishing nonpotable water or a system furnishing wash water.
(4) Toilets.
(a) The provisions of this section apply to both portable
chemical toilets and to flush toilets, except where flush
toilets are used the requirements of WAC 296-800-230 shall
apply instead of (b) of this subsection.
(b) Accessible toilets shall be provided for employees
according to the following table:
TABLE B-1
Number of
Employees
Toilets Required
1 - 10
1
11 - 25
2
26 - 40
3
41 - 60
4
61 - 80
5
Over 80
one additional toilet for
each additional twenty
employees or any fraction
thereof.
(c) When the employer provides both flush and portable
chemical toilets, the number of employees allowed to be served
by the flush toilets, per WAC 296-800-230 will be calculated. That number will be subtracted from the total number of
employees and the employer will be required to provide an
adequate number of portable chemical toilets for the number of
remaining employees, as required by (b) of this subsection.
(d) Toilets shall be maintained in clean, sanitary and
functional condition. Internal latches shall be provided to
secure the units from inadvertent entry. Where there are
twenty or more employees consisting of both sexes, facilities
shall be provided for each sex.
(i) Each unit shall be properly cleaned on a routine
basis.
(ii) Chemicals, toilet tissue and sanitary seat covers
shall be maintained in a supply sufficient for use during the
entire shift.
(iii) Any defective or inadequate unit shall be
immediately removed from service.
(e) Specifications. The following specifications apply:
(i) A noncaustic chemical toilet (portable chemical
toilet is) a self-contained unit equipped with a waste
receiving chemical holding container.
(ii) Portable chemical toilets consisting of only a
holding tank, commonly referred to as "elevator units" or
"elevator toilets" are not acceptable. "Elevator units" may
be used if they are individually located in a lockable room
which affords privacy. When this type unit is used in a
private individual lockable room the entire room will be
considered a toilet facility, as such the room will meet all
requirements of toilet facilities and be inspected in
accordance with subsection (5)(b)(iii) of this section.
(iii) Rooms, buildings or shelters housing toilets shall
be of sound construction, easy to clean, provide shelter and
provide privacy. The toilet rooms shall be ventilated to the
outside and adequately lighted. All openings into the toilet
room shall be covered with 16-mesh screen.
(iv) Toilets shall be serviced on a regular schedule. Servicing shall include the use of a disinfectant for cleaning
urinals and seats, removing waste from containers, recharging
containers with an odor controlling chemical and installing an
adequate supply of toilet tissue and seat covers.
(v) Service shall be performed in accordance with local
codes by approved servicing organizations. Waste shall be
disposed of or discharged in accordance with requirements of
local health department regulations.
(vi) Waste containers shall be fabricated from impervious
materials, e.g. plastic, steel, fiberglass or their
equivalent. Containers shall be water tight and capable of
containing the chemical waste in a sanitary manner. The
container shall be fitted to the building in a manner so as to
prevent insects from entering from the exterior of the
building. Containers shall be adequate in size to be used by
the number of persons, according to the schedule for minimum
requirements, without filling the container to more than half
of its volume before regularly scheduled servicing.
(vii) Removal of waste shall be handled in a clean and
sanitary manner by means of a vacuum hose and received by a
leak-proof tank truck. All valves on the tank shall be
leak-proof.
(viii) Provisions shall be made so service trucks have a
clear approach and convenient access to the toilets to be
serviced.
(ix) Disposal of waste from tank trucks shall be in
accordance with local health department requirements. In the
absence of provisions by local health departments, waste must
be disposed of through municipal or district sanitary sewage
systems. Municipal or area sanitary sewage districts shall
provide sewage disposal locations and facilities which are
adequate and convenient for duly authorized toilet service
organizations.
(f) The requirements of this subsection do not apply to
mobile crews or to normally unattended work locations as long
as employees working at these locations have transportation
immediately available, within the normal course of their
duties, to nearby facilities otherwise meeting the
requirements of this section.
(5)(a) On multiemployer worksites, the prime contractor
shall ensure that the requirements of this section are met. Each employer is responsible for seeing that facilities for
their own employees are provided.
(b) Each employer shall ensure, at the beginning of each
shift, that the sanitation facilities required by this section
are inspected. If any facility or unit fails to meet the
following requirements, immediate corrective action shall be
taken. Such action shall be documented and maintained at the
site for at least 72 hours. Inspection shall establish:
(i) Potable water: Sufficient supply of water, sufficient
supply of cups, container integrity, cleanliness of unit and
area, capacity of trash receptacle (empty).
(ii) Wash water: Sufficient supply of clean water, proper
temperature, sufficient supply of towels, sufficient supply of
cleansing agents, container integrity, cleanliness of unit and
area without the presence of physical hazards, capacity of
trash receptacle (empty).
(iii) Toilets: Sufficient supply of toilet tissue and
sanitary seat covers, capacity and condition of chemical
agent, capacity and condition of holding tank, cleanliness of
unit and area without the presence of physical hazards,
physical and structural condition of unit, condition of lock,
condition of toilet seat and tissue holder, absence of all
foreign debris.
(c) The location of the facilities required by
subsections (1), (2) and (4) of this section shall be as close
as practical to the highest concentration of employees.
(i) On multistory structures they shall be furnished on
every third floor.
(ii) At all sites they shall be located within 200 feet
horizontally of all employees.
(iii) The requirements of subsection (5)(c)(i) and (ii)
do not apply to mobile crews or to normally unattended work
locations as long as employees working at these locations have
transportation immediately available, within the normal course
of their duties, to nearby facilities otherwise meeting the
requirements of this section.
(6) Food handling. All employees' food service
facilities and operations shall meet the applicable laws,
ordinances and regulations of the jurisdictions in which they
are located.
(7) Temporary sleeping quarters. When temporary sleeping
quarters are provided, they shall be heated, ventilated and
lighted.