When planning a party we spend most of our time worrying about the guest list, the food and the decorations, but very rarely do we stop to think about our most pressing need – toilets. Toilets are a vital part of the planning process, for obvious reasons. Your domestic bathroom facilities might not be sufficient for the needs of a large crowd and even if they are, do you want people walking in and out of your house all night?
Port-a-loos are a simple, hassle free solution for party hosts, and they cost less than you might think – maybe even less than the cost of cleaning the dirt and grass out of your carpet. Placed outside, they also save hosts the hassle of having to direct guests to the toilet all night long.
If you’ve decided to rent port-a-loos for your private party, your next question will be, how many do I need? Before we can answer that question, we have a few for you.
How many people are attending the event?
The Australian Emergency Manual provides a general recommendation for toileting needs. For events of up to 500 people, they recommend:
- 1 toilet, 2 urinals and 2 hand basins for men, and 6 toilets and 2 hand basins for women if alcohol is not being served, and
- 3 toilets, 8 urinals and 2 hand basins for men, and 13 toilets and 2 hand basins for women if alcohol is being served.
Based on these recommendations, you can tailor your own calculations based on your own guest list, e.g. if there will be 250 guests and alcohol is being served, you will need 1-2 toilets, 4 urinals and 1 hand basin for men and 5-6 toilets and 1 hand basin for women.
How long does the event go for?
Obviously, a longer event will require more facilities. If alcohol is being served, more facilities will be required later in the night when people have drunk more.
Are there any other facilities available?
Port-a-loos are generally hired to keep up with demand and/or because hosts don’t want people in their house. If your toilet is in a tiled area or near an exit, you can provide a port-a-loo as an back up. If your toilet is to be a no-go zone, you might need more than one port-a-loo.
What is the holding capacity?
A lower capacity toilet might be okay for a short event but if it goes into the night, you might need to add an extra one or upgrade to a larger capacity.
Once you’ve decided on a number, you will need to start researching the facilities of the toilets themselves. Some things to consider are:
What is included? This includes the plumbing facilities – hand basin, mirror – as well as the incidentals – toilet paper, soap, hand towels. Chose a company that provides fully self contained port-a-loos to save yourself the hassle.
Lighting. If your event takes place at night, make sure the units are well lit. A badly lit toilet = a hazchem zone as the night progresses.
Can the toilets be used by men and women? And do they have facilties for disable party-goers? For example, Dinkum Dunnies provides Merlin Special Needs portable toilets that comply with the Australian Standards for Disable usage. These models have a larger internal layout, sturdy stainless steel hand railings, and sit flat on the ground, negating the need for ramps.
Don’t get caught short! Call Dinkum Dunnies for port-a-loo hire in Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast.