Law on access to toilets for truckers passed in Washington
On July 23, Washington State’s first of a kind law goes into effect to guarantee access to restrooms for the truck drivers.
A year ago, Governor Inslee signed legislation requiring terminal operators to provide truckers with “sufficient number of toilet facilities” for use in areas of the terminal that operators would normally have access to.
OOIDA asked legislators to add statement to the bill requiring shippers and consignees to also provide truck drivers with access to stationary or portable toilets.
The bill defines toilets as those intended for use by customers or employees of the shipper or consignee.
Important conditions:
• The toilet must be located in a location where access will not pose a clear risk to the health or safety of the user
• Access to a toilet does not pose an obvious risk to the safety, health, or health of the shipper, consignee, or their employees.
• The employee of the shipper or consignee is allowed to escort the trucker to the toilet.
The Washington State Department of Health is responsible for enforcing the rule.
Shippers or consignees who do not comply with the rule may face a $125 fine.
“Using the toilet is the simplest thing anyone can ask for during a workday. It sounds strange, but professional drivers are often denied access to restrooms when picking up or delivering loads,” said OOIDA Executive Vice President Levi Pugh.
