On this page
For South African construction sites, regulation 30 of the Construction Regulations, 2014 requires contractors to provide clean, maintained worker facilities at or within reasonable access of the site. It specifies at least one sanitary facility for each sex and for every 30 workers. For showers, the regulation provides for shower facilities after consultation with employees or their representatives, or at least one shower per 15 persons. It also lists changing facilities for each sex and sheltered eating areas. These duties are in addition to the Facilities Regulations, 2004. Confirm how the rules apply to your workforce, the agreed shower provision, access, privacy, water, drainage and the project's health-and-safety plan before hiring facilities.
This guide is written for South Africa. Always check local codes, product specifications, licences, and site conditions.
Count the people and the work before ordering facilities
A cabin count based only on the average workforce can under-provide the site on its busiest day or ignore facilities needed because of the work itself.
- Record the maximum people on site at one time, split by sex where the regulations require separate facilities, not only the average headcount.
- List shifts, subcontractors, visitors, delivery crews and any shared-site arrangements that could use the facilities.
- Identify dirty, dusty, chemical, wet, hot or contaminated tasks that may call for additional showers, specialist washing, protective-clothing storage or separated eating arrangements. Do not assume ordinary construction work removes regulation 30 shower and changing-facility duties.
- Map a safe, lit, accessible route to the facilities and keep them available while the workfront moves.
- Confirm the current Construction Regulations, Facilities Regulations, municipal requirements and the project's approved health-and-safety documentation.
Use the workforce and work type to set the first plan
The ratios below are planning anchors from South African construction and workplace-facility rules. They do not replace the full regulation, a competent health-and-safety assessment or local requirements.
| Site condition | First planning response | Check before finalising |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 30 workers | Plan at least one sanitary facility for each sex where separate facilities are required | The applicable facility standard, workforce mix, privacy and whether a written adjoining-premises arrangement is lawful |
| 31–60 workers | Round the sanitary-facility calculation up for each required sex | Peak simultaneous headcount, separate access, cleaning capacity and the site safety file |
| Construction-site showers | Provide shower facilities after consultation with employees or their representatives, OR plan at least one shower facility for every 15 persons under regulation 30(1)(a) | Document the consultation or calculation and check hot/cold water, drainage, privacy, cleaning and other applicable requirements. |
| Small site with fewer than 11 people | Check whether a written arrangement to use adjoining facilities is permitted | Free and ready access, total users, condition, distance, opening hours and compliance of the adjoining facilities |
| Remote, changing or high-contamination work | Provide on-site facilities sized for the actual exposure and shift pattern | Safe access, potable water, cleaning, waste or effluent disposal and a documented maintenance owner |
Deeper guidance
Why the ratio is only the first calculation
A legal minimum is not the same as a workable site plan. Facilities must serve the people who are actually present, remain accessible as the site changes and be kept clean and supplied. A project with short peaks, several subcontractors, long walking routes or difficult waste removal may need more capacity than a simple headcount ratio suggests.
Separate sanitary facilities from washing and changing
Toilets answer one need; showers, washbasins, changing rooms, storage and eating areas answer others. Dust, coatings, hazardous substances, biological contamination, wet work and dirty clothing can make a basic toilet provision inadequate. Plan the sequence from the work exposure to the facility, then check the current Facilities Regulations and Construction Regulations rather than copying a cabin supplier's standard package.
Keep the calculation auditable
Write down the peak headcount, sex mix where relevant, shifts, subcontractors, shower consultation outcome or ratio calculation, facility count, placement, cleaning frequency, water and waste arrangements, responsible person and review date. If a small site uses adjoining premises, keep the written agreement and evidence that the facilities are freely and readily accessible and suitable for the total users.
Replan when the site moves
A facility can be compliant on day one and unusable after a trench, scaffold, hoarding line or new workfront blocks the route. Recheck access, lighting, privacy, vehicle separation, drainage and emergency response at each phase change. Treat facility relocation as a safety change with a named owner, not as a last-minute hire-company request.
Step by step
Set the maximum simultaneous workforce
Use the busiest planned shift, not the contractor's average. Include subcontractors and people who may share the facilities, then document the number and the assumptions. If the workforce changes by phase, plan the peak phase first and state who will review the count before the site grows.
Apply the sanitary-facility and shower anchors
Regulation 30 of the Construction Regulations, 2014 specifies a sanitary facility for each sex for every 30 workers. For showers, it specifies facilities after consultation with employees or their representatives, or at least one per 15 persons. Document which route applies and verify the site's actual requirements with the responsible health-and-safety professional; do not assume showers are only needed for particularly dirty jobs.
Check whether the work requires more than toilets
The Facilities Regulations 2004 cover sanitation, washing, showers in specified circumstances, privacy, ventilation, water, changing rooms, drinking water and clean maintenance. Work involving dirt, dust, hazardous substances or biological contamination can change the facilities plan. Do not treat a toilet cabin as a substitute for a wash station, changing room or safe eating area.
Place the facilities where people can use them safely
Keep facilities within reasonable access of the work, on stable ground, protected from vehicles and falling objects, and reachable without crossing an unsafe workfront. Provide lighting, privacy, ventilation, handwashing and drainage. Review the route after excavation, scaffolding, hoarding or a change in site layout rather than leaving the original placement to become inaccessible.
Assign cleaning, supplies and fault response
Write down who checks toilet paper, soap, towels, drinking water, hot and cold water, locks, lighting, ventilation, leaks and waste removal. Record inspections and close faults promptly. The facilities must remain clean, hygienic, safe, whole, leak-free and in good repair throughout the project—not only on the day they are delivered.
Recheck the plan at every workforce or workfront change
Review the facilities when the headcount, sex mix, shift pattern, contamination risk, site boundary, access route or construction phase changes. Keep the calculation, supplier specification, cleaning records, consultation notes and any written adjoining-premises agreement in the project health-and-safety file.
Expert tips
- Calculate from peak simultaneous occupancy and round up; a weekly average can hide the busiest shift.
- A portable toilet is not automatically a compliant complete facility: plan handwashing, drinking water, privacy, access, cleaning and waste or effluent arrangements together.
- Do not place a facility where people must walk through a lifting zone, excavation edge, vehicle route or unlit area to reach it.
- For shower facilities, check hot and cold water, slip-resistant drainage, privacy, ventilation and changing arrangements before the site opens.
- Treat the ratios as minimums and verify the current legal and project requirements with the responsible health-and-safety professional or authority.
Common questions
How many toilets are required for 30 construction workers in South Africa?+
The Construction Regulations 2014 state at least one sanitary facility for each sex for every 30 workers. Apply the rule to the project's actual workforce and facility arrangement, round up, and confirm the current regulation and site-specific requirements before ordering.
How many showers are needed on a construction site?+
Regulation 30(1)(a) calls for shower facilities after consultation with employees or their representatives, or at least one shower facility for every 15 persons. Do not treat the ratio as the only planning option or infer that ordinary sites need no showers. Confirm consultation outcomes, the Facilities Regulations and site-specific needs with the responsible professional.
Can a small construction site use a nearby building's toilets?+
For fewer than 11 people, the Facilities Regulations 2004 allow an employer to make a written arrangement to use closets and washbasins on adjoining premises only if they are freely and readily accessible and comply with the applicable requirements. Confirm the arrangement before relying on it.
What other facilities should a construction site provide?+
Depending on the work, plan handwashing, soap, towels, toilet paper, safe drinking water, showers, changing and storage facilities, a suitable eating area, cleaning, privacy, ventilation, lighting and lawful waste or effluent handling. Regulation 30 also lists changing facilities for each sex and sheltered eating areas; the work exposure and current regulations determine any additional needs.
Is this a substitute for a construction health-and-safety plan?+
No. This is a planning guide, not legal certification or a site inspection. Have the responsible competent person check the current regulations, municipal requirements, risk assessment, safety file and the facilities supplier's specification before the site starts.
Sources & further reading
We link to official building-code, government and public-health material where a technical or safety claim needs authoritative context. Local rules and adopted code editions can change.
- South African Department of Employment and LabourConstruction Regulations, 2014 — regulations 10 and 30Official 2014 text: roof work and fall protection at printed pages 21–23; construction-site facilities at pages 46–47. Reviewed 25 October 2026. These are contractor/covered construction-site duties; check current law and site-specific application with the responsible professional.↗
- South African GovernmentOccupational Health and Safety Act: Construction RegulationsOfficial construction-facility requirements, including sanitary and shower provision for construction workers.↗
- South African GovernmentOccupational Health and Safety Act: Facilities Regulations, 2004Official requirements for workplace sanitation, washing, showers in specified circumstances, water, privacy and maintenance.↗
Stop if the work involves structural uncertainty, hazardous materials, heights, live services, gas, serious water damage, or regulated work. Local rules differ—use an appropriately licensed professional where required.