A manufacturing company in the North Corman Industrial Park is producing portable hand-washing stations to help combat the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus.
The stainless steel portable stations allow people at construction or oil field job sites to use soap and water to clean their hands, rather than rely solely on sanitizers.
“Nothing beats soap and water for disinfecting your hands,” said Premium Portable Washrooms owner Al Knackstedt in an interview on Tuesday, April 28. “Sanitizer is okay if it’s the only alternative, but it’s never 100 per cent effective like soap and water.
“Plus, the smell of feces still lingers if all you have is sanitizer.”
Knackstedt’s company has been producing self-contained, heated portable washrooms for about 13 years. The CSA-approved portable washrooms have built-in water tanks for flush toilets and wash basins.
Knackstedt said the plastic portable toilets that are often used on job sites lack basic hand-washing accessories.
“Years ago, I used to build apartments out in the field,” said Knackstedt. “The only facilities available were these plastic toilets. I thought, ‘there’s got to be a better way,’ so I started building self-contained units from my own design. They’re built to CSA standards.”
The portable self-contained washrooms are rented to companies with job sites across Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba.
When the COVID-19 crisis hit, the inadequacy of hand-washing facilities at job sites became glaringly apparent.
“There’s so much concern now about washing your hands,” he said. “It’s the best defense against the spread of the virus. And yet, job sites with portable plastic toilets lack that basic necessity.”
Knackstedt began building stainless steel portable hand washing stations to fill the void. Each station is about five feet high and has a 23-gallon tank with a foot pedal at the bottom that is pressed to release a flow of water from the faucet. A soap dispenser and paper towel dispenser are attached at the top of the unit.
“You never have to touch anything with your hands,” said Knackstedt. “You can walk up to it, push down on the foot pedal, and when you’re done take your foot off the pedal and the water stops.”
The portable stations have a pump at the bottom to pump out the grey water after use, and can be used with or without electrical power. The tanks can be filled using a garden hose or manually using pails. An electrical element inside the unit can heat the water if power is available.
Knackstedt said there are some companies in the United States that build similar products. He said it’s an idea whose time has come.
“I’ve been trying to get the provincial occupational health and safety people to raise the standards for hand-washing and portable washrooms for years,” he said. “Alberta has higher standards than Saskatchewan does.
“The COVID-19 pandemic is a terrible thing. But it has shown us why it’s so important to wash our hands.
“This pandemic is costing the provincial and federal governments, and all Canadians, billions of dollars.
“Something as simple as washing your hands will save money and help us all stay healthy.”