Human Resource Blog

Bathroom Location in the Workplace

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I work in an office/cubicle environment, and due to limited space, mine and three other co-workers’ desks are right outside of bathrooms. It is almost daily that someone or several people will go into these bathrooms and make the environment less than bearable for us outside the door. Is there any type of health code that sets standards regarding how far away you should be from the bathroom on a daily basis?

Thank you

This situation is undoubtedly very unpleasant for you and your coworkers, but it’s probably not illegal.

OSHA, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, requires that employers provide bathrooms in the workplace, and keep them in a sanitary condition. OSHA does not have a minimum standard for distance between the bathrooms and work areas, in General Industry.

Although this situation is unpleasant, it’s unlikely to result in a work-related injury or illness.

It would not be practical for OSHA to set a standard that work must be performed, say, 15 feet from the restrooms. That’s because the restrooms must be cleaned by an employee who is actually inside the restroom while performing work.

OSHA inspectors follow guidelines, but make determinations based on individual cases. It’s possible that an OSHA inspector would determine that the work conditions in this case were unacceptable, but unlikely.

There may be a standard set by local, municipal or county laws in your area.

There are some limitations for specific industries. For example, most municipal or county health departments require a minimum distance between food preparation areas and bathrooms.