No more port-a-potties: Flush toilets coming to big construction sites in B.C.

Starting Oct. 1, construction companies with 25 workers or more at a job site will be required to bring in flush toilets

Published Sep 05, 2024  •  2 minute read

Construction workers can soon say goodbye to port-a-potties as the provincial government mandates flush toilets at large construction sites in B.C. Photo by NICK PROCAYLO /10104870A

New provincial regulations requiring flush toilets on large construction sites in B.C. are set to take effect next month.

Starting Oct. 1, construction companies with 25 workers or more at a job site will be required to bring in flush toilets instead of port-a-potties, which have been criticized by the union representing construction workers as unsanitary and undignified.

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Under the new rules, employers will be required to provide flush toilets that can be connected to a sewer system or holding tank and use a flow of clean water to flush the bowl. Hand-washing facilities are also required, and the washrooms must be ventilated and provide privacy.

“We all know how unpleasant port-a-potties can be, but this is actually a health-and-safety issue for construction workers,” said Labour Minister Harry Bains in a statement on Thursday.

“We have heard clearly from the building sector that it is an important issue for workers, and it contributes to the sector’s ability to attract and retain workers, including women.”

“This regulation addresses one of the most egregious and long-standing indignities that construction workers have had to face in their daily lives,” said Brynn Bourke, executive director of the B.C. Building Trades, which represents 40,000 construction workers.

The requirement was first announced a year ago by Premier David Eby at the union’s convention in Victoria last October, following a campaign by the union called Get Flushed, advocating for flush toilets and better sanitation.

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WorkSafeBC will work with construction companies in the coming months to make them aware of the changes, said the labour ministry.

The agency will issue guidelines, which will be flexibility in cases where flush toilets are not feasible. However, the onus will be on the employer to provide a good reason for not being able to provide the facilities.

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