What is a hand sanitizer station?
A hand sanitizer station is a dispenser mounted either inside a portable toilet or on its own weighted stand, holding an alcohol based gel or foam that people use without water. There is no tank, no pump out and no plumbing. It is the lightest piece of equipment we deliver.
Two formats do almost all the work:
- The wall dispenser inside the unit, mounted beside the door at hand height
- The freestanding stand, usually foot operated, placed at the entrance to a queue or a food row
Foot operated stands cost more and are worth it in a queue, because nobody touches the dispenser. Inside a unit the wall dispenser is standard on our flushable units and available on standard units.
Does hand sanitizer replace a handwashing station?
No, and it is worth being blunt about that because people try. The CDC is clear that sanitizer does not remove all types of germs and works poorly on hands that are visibly dirty or greasy, which describes almost every hand on a Philadelphia construction site by mid morning.
The legal side matters too. OSHA 1926.51(f)(1) requires the employer to provide adequate washing facilities for workers applying paints, coatings, herbicides or insecticides, or in other operations where harmful contaminants may be present. A gel dispenser is not a washing facility under that rule. You need the handwashing station or a portable sink, and the sanitizer sits alongside it.
Where sanitizer genuinely earns its place is volume. At a Broad Street race or a Fairmount Park festival, sanitizer stands move a queue at a speed no sink can match, and they cover the gap while the sinks get serviced. Full detail on handwashing requirements.
What alcohol strength should the gel be?
At least 60 percent alcohol. The CDC recommends alcohol based hand sanitizer containing a minimum of 60 percent alcohol, and product below that line is not doing the job people assume it is doing. The FDA regulates these products as over the counter drugs rather than as cosmetics, so the alcohol percentage is printed on the label and you can check it.
We stock gel and foam at or above that threshold. If your event has a sponsor supplying its own product, send us the label before delivery day and we will tell you whether the dispensers will run it.
Dispenser types we deliver
| Type | Capacity | Operation | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| In unit wall dispenser | Under a litre | Push | Every rented toilet |
| Weighted floor stand | About 1 gallon | Push or foot pedal | Event entrances, vendor rows |
| Foot pedal stand, tall | About 1 gallon | Foot only | Queues, food service lines |
| Stand with signage panel | About 1 gallon | Push or foot | Sponsored events, wayfinding |
Stands are weighted rather than staked, so they work on a paved plaza at Penn's Landing as well as on grass in Fairmount Park. On windy ground near the stadiums at Lincoln Financial Field or Citizens Bank Park, ask for the heavier base.
How often does a porta potty sanitizer dispenser need refilling?
On the same rhythm as the unit itself for ordinary use, and faster at events. ANSI/PSAI Z4.3, the industry standard for non sewered waste disposal systems, treats weekly service as the baseline, and topping up the dispenser is part of that visit.
What actually drives the interval:
- Number of people through the unit, not the number of days
- Whether the stand sits at a food row, where use roughly doubles
- Weather, since gel gets used more freely in warm conditions
- Whether the dispenser is inside the unit or exposed to the public
For a one day event with 2,000 people we plan on refilling the entrance stands at least once during the day. See how often porta potties are cleaned and the sizing calculator for the unit maths that drives all of this.
Storage, heat and flammability
Alcohol based hand rub is a flammable liquid under NFPA 30, with a flash point below 100 degrees Fahrenheit, which is why we do not leave spare cases stacked in a locked unit in July. Bulk refills stay on the truck or in a shaded storage point, and dispensers get topped up rather than swapped for a full drum on site.
Practically, that means: no sanitizer stand parked against a generator or a light tower exhaust, no bulk stock inside a storage container sitting in direct sun, and no dispensers next to a hot works area. It is a short list and it has never cost anyone anything to follow.
Placing stands at a Philadelphia event
The stand goes where people already stop, not where there is a spare square of ground. That means the head of the queue, the entrance to a vendor row, and the exit from the toilet bank rather than the entrance.
The Philadelphia access problem applies here as much as it does to a unit. On the narrow rowhouse blocks across South Philadelphia and Fishtown, our truck needs a clear approach, and one parked car across the drop point will end the delivery. For events with portable units the permit application in this city goes to the Department of Public Health under its infectious waste program rather than to a streets or transportation department, which is set out on our permit requirements page. The placement guide covers ground and access.
Questions about hand sanitizer stations
Can I rent stands without renting toilets?For an event, yes, if there are enough of them to be worth a truck. For a single stand, no.
Do you refill dispensers I already own?We refill our own equipment. Mixing product through someone else's dispenser causes more service calls than it saves.
Do the stands work outdoors in winter?Yes, though gel thickens as it gets cold and a stand left below freezing overnight will dispense slowly for the first hour. See porta potty in winter.
Are they suitable next to ADA units? Yes, and the stand should be on the level approach rather than on the gravel beside it. Read ADA accessible porta potty and ADA restroom requirements.
What does it cost?It is a line on the job rather than a standalone price. Delivery in this region typically runs $50 to $150 and a service visit $30 to $220, usually around $60. See porta potty rental cost.
Book sanitizer stations
Can I add porta potty hand sanitizer to a unit?
Yes. A porta potty hand sanitizer dispenser mounts inside the door on any standard unit.
Tell us the event, the head count and the number of entrances. Request a quote or contact us. Also read event restroom rental, festival restrooms, marathon restroom rental, construction site services, porta potty rental in Philadelphia, service areas, the FAQ and the home page.
Next step
Get a delivery date
Tell us the address, the dates and the headcount. We size the order and confirm the route.