In every sector, chemical toilets are a concrete tool for protecting workers.

Today we focus specifically on the agricultural sector, which is often overlooked from this perspective. Those who work in fields, plantations, or greenhouses know how crucial sanitary conditions are to the quality of the working day. Yet there are still cases where seasonal workers find themselves without adequate toilet facilities, often far from any permanent structure.

In this regard, the European standard EN 16194:2023 has updated and strengthened the rules on portable chemical toilets across various sectors, including agriculture, with precise guidelines on the number of units, maintenance service frequency, and minimum hygiene requirements. In this article, we explore everything you need to know to comply with regulations and ensure decent working conditions.

Why chemical toilets are mandatory in agriculture too

When people think about the obligation to provide toilet facilities for workers, they usually think of construction sites or factories. Agriculture, however, is fully included among the sectors in which employers have specific health and sanitation responsibilities.

Agricultural workers, and seasonal workers employed during harvest in particular, often operate in remote areas, far from any infrastructure. The only practical solution in these contexts is the portable chemical toilet, which requires no water or sewage connections and can be placed wherever needed.

Agricultural activities covered by the regulation

The European standard EN 16194:2023 includes among its sectors of application agricultural plantations, fruit and vegetable farms, floriculture, and forestry. All these activities fall under the obligation to provide workers with adequate toilet facilities. Specifically, this covers:

• manual and mechanised sowing, harvesting, and planting
• manual and mechanised pruning and felling
• product loading and transport
• storage of harvested products
• warehouse operations

The employer’s role

In this context, the employer is responsible for making a sufficient number of chemical toilets available to all workers and for ensuring that the declared capacity of the units is never exceeded, which would create unacceptable hygiene conditions.

This rule also applies when workers come from subcontracted companies or are self-employed: the number of units is always calculated based on the maximum number of people simultaneously present on site during a standard working week.

How many chemical toilets does an agricultural business need?

The EN 16194:2023 standard is very specific on this point. The basic ratio is 1 chemical toilet per 7 workers, with a weekly maintenance service.

Increasing the frequency of services makes it possible to reduce the number of units required. This flexibility is useful when space is limited or logistics are complex. With 2 services per week, the ratio rises to 1 unit per 14 workers; with 3 weekly services, it reaches 1 unit per 22 workers.

Maximum distance from the workplace

In agricultural businesses and in fields in particular, the maximum distance between the workplace and the chemical toilet must not exceed 80 metres, and units must be easily accessible: the more accessible the units are, the more likely they are to be used when needed, reducing the risk of workers moving away or improvising alternatives.

There is also an equally important operational detail: the maximum distance between the chemical toilet and the service vehicle must not exceed 10 metres, to ensure that emptying and cleaning operations are carried out efficiently and without the risk of waste spillage.

How many times a day is a chemical toilet used in the field?

This may seem like an obvious question, but the EN 16194:2023 standard also provides this data, which is useful for correctly calibrating the number of units and the frequency of services.

Estimated frequency of use

The expected frequency of use per person is 3 times during a standard working day. The maximum number of uses per unit between two maintenance interventions must not exceed 105: this calculation is based on 7 workers using the same unit 3 times a day for 5 days a week.

As for the emptying and cleaning service, this is required at least once a week, after 5 standard working days of 8 hours each.

Hygiene and maintenance: what the standard requires

Having the right number of chemical toilets is only the first step towards compliance. The standard also sets out how units must be managed and maintained over time.

What a complete maintenance service includes

A maintenance intervention on a portable chemical toilet in an agricultural setting includes:

• complete emptying of the waste collection tank
• high-pressure cleaning of the inside of the tank
• refilling with 20 litres of water and sanitising product
• high-pressure cleaning of the interior and exterior of the unit
• drying of the interior
• disinfection with a bactericidal agent
• restocking of toilet paper, soap, or alcohol-based hand gel

Units and handwashing stations must be kept clean on a continuous basis. Containers used to transport or store water for handwashing must be emptied, thoroughly cleaned, disinfected, and refilled with drinking water on a regular basis.

Attention to unit positioning

Units must not be placed near water sources used for irrigation, or in areas subject to possible surface runoff during heavy rainfall. A particularly important detail for businesses working with fresh fruit and vegetables is that an accidental waste spillage could contaminate fields and produce. Cleaning and waste transport vehicles must have direct access to the units to ensure correct collection and disposal.

Fields with accommodation for seasonal workers: specific rules

Many agricultural businesses, especially during major harvest seasons, accommodate seasonal workers in equipped camps or temporary structures. For these contexts the standard sets additional requirements.

What is required in a field with seasonal accommodation

All agricultural businesses or fruit and vegetable warehouses that provide temporary camps or shelters must have chemical toilets, hot and cold showers, and running water points, at a ratio of 3 showers, 3 handwashing stations, and 3 chemical toilets per 25 people.

In practical terms, a camp accommodating up to 50 workers requires at least 7 chemical toilets, 7 showers, and 7 water points. For 100 workers, this rises to 14 of each. In these contexts, services must be carried out every day, including weekends and public holidays.

It is important to emphasise that the availability of adequate sanitary facilities is not only a regulatory requirement, but also a matter of dignity and public health: poor hygiene conditions encourage the spread of infectious diseases and increase the risk for the entire workforce.

Handwashing stations: an indispensable complement

Another important aspect that is often overlooked is that of standalone handwashing stations. In agriculture, where workers handle fresh food products, hand hygiene is even more critical than in other sectors.

Handwashing stations must be installed at least in areas where workers carry out harvesting activities and in the vicinity of chemical toilets. They must be equipped with:

• a basin with water
• liquid soap or alcohol-based hand gel
• hand-drying devices, such as disposable paper towels
• a waste container

Handwashing stations must be cleaned regularly, at most every 7 days, and disinfected with an appropriate solution to maintain the hygiene conditions required by the standard.

Which chemical toilet to choose for the agricultural sector?

Everything discussed so far shows that in the agricultural sector, units must be robust, easy to transport and position, and capable of withstanding variable environmental conditions. Tblustar models, a leading company in the portable chemical toilet sector, are designed to meet these needs in a professional manner.

Our flagship product is the T-STAR, the ideal solution for those who need a compact unit that can be assembled and disassembled in just a few minutes, without any special tools. Its design reduces storage and transport costs and space by up to 75%: a concrete advantage for businesses that move between multiple plots during the season. To find out which model best suits your company’s needs, you can contact the Tblustar team. Complying with these guidelines is the most effective way to protect the health of those who work in the fields and ensure a workplace that meets the required standards.