Northeast Sanitation Blog

Buying a Christmas Tree can be a very long process. If you own a Christmas tree farm you know the importance of having a portable toilet available where families are involved.  You should also know that when portable toilets are provided at outdoor venues, people stay longer, and spend more money.

Christmas tree shopping at a cut-your-own farm can be the ultimate holiday event for many families. Bonfires, apple cider, and holiday cheer.  Be sure the occasion is not spoiled by a lack of portable toilets. Portable toilets are a necessity when you have families visiting your farm in the woods to pick out a tree.

In many cases traditional porta potties are sufficient, but for added convenience, ADA compatible portable toilets are perfect for a family event. All the extra space is perfect for a parent and child, or two! You can supplement the ADA compliant with traditional portable toilets as well as  portable sinks, depending on your business, the expected crowds and how far away you are from civilization.

Christmas tree shopping is fun for all. Parents talk, so cast your business in the right light rent portable toilets. Be prepared for the season; contact NSC Restrooms for Portable toilet rentals.  

Everyone is familiar one form or another of portable toilets. Everyone, who’s ever been to an outdoor concert, a wedding outdoors or on the beach, or has some exposure to the construction industry is familiar with a portable restroom. Construction sites and camping sites are the two places where the traditional Porta Potty units are most commonly seen.

Restrooms can present a challenge in various locations or venues but portable toilets have some innovative designs these days to suit every need. If you are a camper you are likely aware of the portable toilets provided on camp sites. For large parties and wedding events, there are portable restroom trailers for rent similar to any home bathroom.
There are many models and types of portable toilets available. They range from the larger, mobile restrooms units that are attached to trailers and are essentially the same as a rest room that you would find in a hotel to single units found on construction sites and ball fields. There are ADA and handicap accessible single units available as well as ADA restroom trailers too.

Take a look at the variety of mobile restrooms available today. They take so much of the work out of planning an event, and with the various styles and levels of luxury, your options for venues increases exponentially.  

WEBSITE BUILDS BONDS

At first, McNamara relied on established business contacts — the “golden Rolodex,” as he puts it — and word-of-mouth referrals. But three years ago, he realized the company also required an Internet presence. The current website was revised about a year ago, and he says it’s a continual work in progress.

“In today’s world, people want to know you have a website,” he adds. “Everyone should have one that shows their products and explains what they do. But you also have to deliver on what you say on the website.”

To keep the website interesting, McNamara posts a weekly blog that talks about a wide array of issues, from strategic placement of units on construction sites to how many restrooms a customer might need for a wedding or party.

“We aim for information people can use,” he says. “At the same time, we’re also always looking for creative ideas to have some fun with it, too.

We ask our drivers for ideas, and they’ve come up with topics like how to protect units on site, putting stone pads in front of units when it’s muddy, placement of hand sinks and so on. It’s all aimed at benefitting the end-user.”

IMAGE IS MARKETING, TOO

NSC also emphasizes less subtle forms of marketing, like new, clean and well-maintained trucks; uniformed, clean-cut drivers who are courteous and professional; and use of new technology, such as global positioning systems, which helps improve customer service.

“We purchase anything that makes us more competitive in the marketplace,” he says. “We try to stay ahead of the curve on that because it saves you money in the long run.”

The NCS fleet includes a 2006 Ford LCF with a 350-gallon waste/150-gallon steel tank, made by Best Enterprises Inc.; a 2007 International 4300 with a 1,500-waste/500-gallon freshwater aluminum Progress (Progress Tank LLC) tank; a 2008 Hino 268 with a 1,500-gallon waste/500-gallon freshwater aluminum Progress tank; a 2008 International 4300 with a 750-gallon waste/350-gallon freshwater flat steel tank from Crescent Tank Mfg.; two 2010 Hino 268s with Progress aluminum tanks (one 1,150-gallon waste/350-gallon freshwater and the other with a 1,500-gallon waste/500-gallon freshwater); and a 2007 Ford LCF flatbed truck for deliveries. All of the trucks use Masport Inc. pumps.

NSC also owns 1,100 standard portable restrooms, mostly Integra units from PolyPortables Inc.; 60 handicapped-accessible units (30 made by Satellite Industries Inc. and 30 made by PolyPortables); and two restroom trailers, a 15-footer made by JAG Mobile Solutions Inc. and a 24-footer manufactured by Comforts of Home Services Inc.

The upscale JAG trailer has four 18-inch, flat-screen televisions. Customers who run charity events or weddings often burn their own DVDs with photo slide shows and play them continuously on the TVs.

“We’ve gotten lots of positive feedback about the TVs. I’m not sure it makes us more money, but you know people talk about it,’’ McNamara says. “New equipment is a great marketing tool. We wash and clean trucks every day. We want to create the perception that we’re the best company out there … when people see our trucks, they remember us.”

GPS technology helps improve customer service. NCS uses a system made by Navtrak Inc. that provides detailed information, from how fast technicians drive to the duration of a service call to the exact time the vacuum power on trucks is turned on and off. If a customer questions whether a technician made a service call, NCS can e-mail them a GPS report that proves they did.

If there’s any question at all in a customer’s mind, though, McNamara follows the premise that the customer is always right, which means a technician will go back and re-service the units in question again. Most times, however, the report does the trick, and customers realize later on that, for example, a landscaping crew came on-site unbeknownst to them, which explains why units were full or dirty so soon after being serviced.

Can I rent a portable restroom for just one day?
Absolutely. Our special event restroom trailers and individual units can be rented by the day or for weekend rentals. We also rent units monthly.

Will the portable restroom be clean for my event?
Yes they will. NSC Restrooms take pride in the condition of our portable restrooms.

Where will you place my portable toilet?
We will place them per your instruction, however, we may have to relocate them for servicing and will make suggestions to you to ensure your guests/employees and our service people can safely access the restroom.

How far in advance do I need to reserve a portable toilet?
During peak times, we can possibly sell out, so as much lead time as you can give us. But as a minimum, we would like to have 48 hours notice and we can have your restroom delivered. For large special events or large construction projects, a week or more lead time is appreciated and advisable.

Where does the waste go after it has been pumped?
The waste water is taken to local waste water facilities and disposed of according to the regulations required by the facilities.

Am I required to have porta potties on my job site?
Most town and city ordinances spell out the requirements for portable restrooms on a job site. Town Inspectors will often require that the portable toilet is either ordered or has arrived on the site before approving the inspection.

What is the frequency of service on my portable toilet?
We service our portable restrooms once a week in order to keep them safe, clean, sanitized and stocked with supplies. If needed, we can supply service more often.

Does a portable restroom on my construction job site really cut down on expenses and time?
By supplying a portable restroom on your job site you cut down on the amount of time your employees are searching for and traveling to an alternate facility.

The following chart has been supplied by PSAI (portable sanitation association international). The annual cost of 10 minutes of wasted toilet time per employee, per day:

It is cold outside, but that does not mean you cannot use a portable toilet. New Home construction and home additions are finally on the rise throughout Massachusetts and with that comes the need for portable restrooms. At NSC restrooms we have the units you need. If you have a new home construction site, you need a portable restroom for your workers. This will decrease employee down time and raise employee productivity, both are very important in these times of watching the dollar and trying to cut costs.

For the homeowner having an addition added on their existing home, a portable toilet is the perfect solution. Your living situation is already compromised; eliminate the traffic through your home by supplying a restroom outdoors for your contractors, plumbers and plasterers. This will enhance your privacy while increasing the productivity of the job at hand.

If you are beginning a construction project or already have one started and you would like to find out more about the costs and benefits of a portable restroom, contact NSC Restrooms today.

Portable restrooms need to be secured for both high winds and from mischievous kids who think tipping over porta potties is a fun activity. Typically some sort of metal spikes or rebar are used to spike down the units however in the winter with frozen ground this is impossible, therefore, sandbags from your local hardware store are the best measure.

Many of our seasonal sports leagues, who are tired of the nuisance caused by kids that think tipping over units is a “fun” activity during the summer, will secure the portable toilet with a chain against a link fence. Usually this is done by municipal fields that have no shortage of kids looking for fun. When a restroom is tipped over, we do ask our customers to call us. We will then dispatch one of our trucks to clean up and possibly replace the unit.

In the winter months, high winds caused by winter storms do cause more problems for portable restrooms than throughout the rest of the year. If you have a portable restroom and you have not anchored the unit down with spikes yet, you may not be able to given the frozen ground, so your next solution is either sand bags or poly rope and cinder blocks.

However, we think that using sand bags is the easiest way to help prevent high wind tip over’s, but putting the unit in the right place, such as along a building or construction container will help as well. Please keep in mind however, for safety reasons; whatever is used to secure the units should not interfere with entry or exiting the unit

Working on the job site in winter can be very difficult as the temperatures drop and things begin to freeze. In New England, conditions on long term construction sites throughout the winter can be hazardous enough. But when your workers want to take a break, their down time should not be hazardous as well. NSC Restrooms uses a brine solution in the tanks of your sites portable toilets and we also put salt in the portable urinals to help prevent freezing up. We know that injuries on the job and employee loss time can cost you quite a bit of money.

There are a few safety tips in regards to portable restrooms we would like to bring to mind as the snow piles up. Please remember to remove the ice and snow from in front of the porta potties, prior to snow storms make sure the path to the portable toilet is free and clear of debris that could trip or injure workers. But most importantly, DO NOT place gas or electric heaters inside the portable restroom units. The heat generated can melt the plastic and in worse cases start a fire. These safety tips can help you prevent serious injuries this winter.

At NSC, our experience in the construction industry has helped us develop our product line and safety practices. For your construction site, we can offer you wheel based units, lift kits and office trailer equipment. All of these products can increase your employee productivity; add our brine solution, salt and safety tips and you can have a much more productive and safe
winter construction site.

Hopefully, the recent news report of the collapse of the stadium dome where the Minnesota Vikings play will not be a sign of more disastrous things to come this winter. With the official start of winter a week away the collapse of the stadium roof reminds us how important being prepared for major storms can be. NSC Restrooms is located in beautiful Massachusetts and our neighbors in the Midwest know all too well just how quickly a small storm can escalate to hazardous conditions. The best we can do is take steps ahead of time to be ready at home, at work, and on the road. By now most of us should know the check list by heart. Did we change the batteries in the fire/smoke alarms? Do we have flash lights and candles and are the batteries for the house or car flashlights good? These are the things we can control. What about those we cannot?

Hopefully the snow that is surely on its way this winter will not bring down our roofs or freeze our pipes. However, in the event that we are met with our own natural disaster, keep in mind that NSC Restrooms can respond quickly to provide toilets to your family or facility. There is nothing worse than frozen pipes in your home or work, but if you are faced with this scenario this winter, keep NSC Restrooms in mind. With hundreds of portable toilets and restroom trailers available, and a speedy response time, NSC can make even natural disasters less disastrous.

If you are planning on using portable restrooms for your construction site, then there are a few important factors you need to take into consideration before you actually get the restrooms delivered. Here are some questions to consider.

How many people will be on site?
There needs to be portable restrooms available for anyone who needs to make use of them, without the units getting clogged and avoiding the long lines that can form while employees wait to use the facilities. Industry standard is 1 portable restroom for 10 workers for a standard work week on a job site. http://www.psai.org/ .  Per the PSAI Usage - Route Units: On a construction site, each weekly serviced toilet unit can accommodate 10 workers (working a single 40-hour shift) ANSI Z4.3-2005.

How often should the portable toilets be serviced?
This answer can vary widely, depending on the type of project you need the restrooms for, how long porta potties are going to be used on site, how many people are around and how often they make use of the restrooms.

What type of portable restrooms do you need?
There are a wide variety of restroom styles, from basic single toilet units to restroom trailers, as well as mobile office trailers for long term construction sites. At short term work sites, single stall units with hand sanitizer may do the job. For construction sites without easy access to water, it is a good idea to inquire about the fresh water flushing mobile office system so that all the necessary sanitary needs are covered without incurring excessive costs.

Will I need insurance?
Yes, when renting portable restrooms from a supplier you should make sure you have public liability insurance. You are responsible for the safety of your employees while they are using the units on your site.

Black Friday is the traditional “kick off” for the holiday shopping season. Not only is the holiday season fast approaching so is winter and the inclement weather. Snow, sleet, and icy conditions will add to an already hectic time of year for many. Combine long work hours, fewer daylight hours, add a snow storm, and you have the ingredients for increased stress and poor judgment in some cases when driving.
Please, remember to drive safely and consider the following when out and about this shopping season.

• Never tailgate a commercial vehicle. You must be able to see both side mirrors of all commercial vehicles, this ensure that the driver can see you.
• In stop and go traffic, commercial vehicles leave space between the vehicles in front of them. This space helps to compensate for the added weight with which these vehicles operate. Compared to the average automobile, large commercial vehicles require a significant amount of distance to stop. Resist the urge to cut in front of these rigs and especially in poor road conditions.
• And lastly, please obey the reduced speed limits in road construction zones. Remember all these road and bridge workers have families who want them home for the holidays.