Construction sites in B.C. will be legally required to bring in flush toilets on job sites, premier says

Construction companies will soon be required by law to bring in flush toilets for job sites in British Columbia with 25 workers or more, the premier said Monday.

Last week, the union representing 40,000 construction workers in B.C. launched a campaign calling on the province to make flush toilets mandatory on construction sites. It said the chemical toilets currently in place at many sites are "unsanitary" and "undignified."

"I sometimes hold it in for 11 hours because the porta-potties are so bad," insulator Lindsay Sangster said in a news release. Ironworker Peter White described the toilets as "degrading" and "dehumanizing."

B.C. Building Trades had asked construction companies to provide toilets and hand-washing facilities connected to sewer systems or portable units with running water on sites with more than 25 workers. 

On Monday, Premier David Eby granted them their wish.  

"If we want people to work in the trades, if we want to show people that this is a great way to support your family and build your community, the basic ability to go to a bathroom that doesn't stink, that isn't a mess, where you can flush a toilet, is a basic requirement for a decent job site," Eby said at a union convention in Victoria, announcing that the province intends to bring in a legal requirement for flush toilets.

The announcement received a standing ovation from attendees at the event. 

"We are excited about the premier's responsiveness to this important issue," said Brynn Bourke, executive director of the B.C. Building Trades Council, in a news release Monday. 

"With the premier's help, construction workers across the province will have markedly better sanitary conditions on site. They'll also be given the dignity they deserve at work."

Further details about the legislation have not been made public.

The British Columbia Construction Association (BCCA), which represents 10,000 employers in the province's industrial, commercial, institutional and residential multi-unit (ICIR) construction industry, said it is supportive of improving working conditions of its employees.

"To a large extent we can find support in the employer ranks and the crew ranks to find a pathway to make this happen," said BCCA president Chris Atchison about the pending new requirement for flush toilets.

Atchison agreed that washroom facilities at job sites can be a barrier to attracting workers to the industry. He is hoping for continued dialogue involving all sectors of the industry over the change.

"We can't just replace what exists out there now, but we can move toward a better future as long as we're not expecting it to change overnight."