Understanding Alberta’s waste management and sanitary regulations will keep your work site safer, cleaner, and healthier. The province’s rules and regulations provide guidance and standards for a wide variety of topics, including but not limited to waste management and requirements for portable toilets and handwashing stations.
Here’s a guide to what you need to know about Alberta’s waste management and sanitary regulations:
Alberta’s Regulatory Framework for Waste Management & Sanitation
In Alberta, waste management and sanitation rules are governed by the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act. It’s certainly not necessary for anyone to understand every detail, and there are many areas that won’t apply to most people or job sites.
The EPEA does have detailed rules and regulations for waste management, though, and applies to the collection, transportation, processing, treatment, and disposal of waste.
Much of the responsibility for the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act falls on Alberta Environment and Parks, which is concerned with the management of:
- Hazardous waste and recyclables in the province
- Landfill and composting facilities
- Waste facilities
- Waste reduction and recycling
Portable Toilets & Handwash Stations: Compliance Requirements
Portable Toilet Requirements
Anyone running a work site of any kind in Alberta is required by the Occupational Health and Safety Code to provide toilets for anyone working there. Fortunately, the requirements are straightforward and easy to understand.
Here are the minimum number of toilets required for each sex:
- 1-10 Workers: A minimum of one toilet
- 11-25 workers: A minimum of two toilets
- 26-50: A minimum of three toilets
- 51-75: A minimum of four toilets
- 76-100: A minimum of five toilets
- More than 100 workers: Six toilets, plus one more for each additional 30 workers
Use our Portable Toilet Calculator to get the exact number for your job site.
Water & Drainage Requirements
This is outlined in Section 358 of the Occupational Health and Safety Code, but there are three main rules that should be understood about Alberta’s requirements for water and drainage on work sites:
- If a job site is connected to a municipal water main or sanitary drainage system, the toilets on the site need to be connected to that system.
- If there is no municipal water system available, toilets should be connected to a septic tank.
- Toilets on a job site should be regularly maintained and emptied to avoid overflowing and the unsanitary conditions resulting from that.
Hand Cleaning Facilities
Workers need to be able to wash their hands. That’s pretty straightforward, and Section 359 of the Alberta Occupational Health and Safety Code offers clear guidance for how many handwashing stations are required on a job site.
- At least one wash basin or hand cleaning facility needs to be provided wherever there are toilets.
- For every two toilets, there should be at least one wash basin. That’s in addition to the wash basin which is automatically required.
- Circular wash fountains are permitted instead of wash basins or handwashing stations. Every 500 millimetres of the fountain’s circumferences counts as one wash basin.
Read our Portable Sink Guide for more information.
Waste Water & Waste Disposal Protocols
When it comes to wastewater and waste management in Alberta, it’s important to understand that the regulations in the province aren’t just about providing workers on a site with safe and healthy conditions. The regulations are also meant to ensure that the public at large is kept safe and can comfortably enjoy their environment.
Having a pile of garbage that smells foul lying around, for example, would be considered a nuisance, and Alberta’s regulations seek to prevent that. The same could be said about an unclean portable toilet or a contaminated puddle.
Nuisance & General Sanitation Regulations
Whether intentional or not, anything that interferes with the “public or private right to enjoyment of property” is defined as a nuisance, and Alberta has clearly defined nuisance and general sanitation guidelines.
Toilets
There are a few key things to understand about the nuisance regulations for toilets:
- It’s required that toilets be located and maintained in a way that no nuisance is created.
- They’re in good working order and are maintained in a clean and sanitary condition.
- They are protected in a way that prevents vermin from accessing them.
Handwashing Stations
- Handwashing stations must be on or adjacent to the location of an event or site.
- Soap and running water are provided at the handwashing stations.
- There are enough handwashing stations for staff or event guests.
- Air dryers or single-use towels are available.
Waste Storage & Removal
- Garbage or waste should be kept in a flyproof and waterproof container until collected.
- Containers should be made of metal or another “substantial and impervious material.”
- There must be enough waste bins to meet the needs of the event, and they should be located in a way that provides easy access.
- Garbage will be removed in a timely manner.
Best Practices for Compliance
While there are extensive regulations in Alberta for waste management, toilets, and handwashing stations (among many other things), they are rooted in common sense approaches to keeping workers and workspaces healthy, clean, and sanitary.
There are a few key things you can do to ensure compliance:
- Regular maintenance for toilets and handwashing stations: FenceLine Rentals Ltd. has clean, durable portable toilets and handwashing stations available built to stand up to Alberta’s harsh climate. We offer customizable cleaning schedules, 24/7 emergency service, and on-site pump-outs, cleanings, and restockings to ensure you’ll meet all of Alberta’s regulatory standards.
- Proper waste disposal: Whether it’s an event or a job site, having the right waste bins and a waste management plan that accounts for waste generation, waste diversion, and waste disposal will ensure you avoid creating a nuisance or a mess on your job site or at your event. It’s important to work with a licensed waste management company that can handle the collection, transportation, and disposal of waste on your site.
- Employee training: Having employees who understand workplace safety and sanitation regulations can help ensure that your job site or event is safe and meets Alberta’s standards. Companies like ESafetyFirst and WorkSite Safety offer many different courses to help make job sites safer. At the same time, the Alberta Construction Safety Association has a wide range of courses, including one specifically on Alberta Occupational Health and Safety Legislation Awareness.
Comply with Alberta’s Waste Management & Sanitary Regulations
Complying with Alberta’s waste management and sanitary regulations is vital for any job site or event in the province. Having the right equipment and maintaining it properly is the right place to start, and FenceLine Rentals Ltd. has the bins and containers you’ll need to meet waste management regulations, as well as portable toilets and handwashing stations.
Call us at (782)825-5737 or contact us online today to get started.