Workers are using bags, bottles, buckets and bushes because of lack of toilet facilities

• TUC survey for World Toilet Day shows that many workers are deprived of toilet access, risking health problems as a result
• The TUC is calling on employers to improve workers' access to toilets, including by allowing longer breaks when necessary

A TUC survey, published today (Tuesday) to mark World Toilet Day, has found that some workers are using bags, bottles and buckets to relieve themselves when they cannot get access to a toilet during their working day.

More than 4,000 working people participated in the survey following email invitations sent by trade unions. The large number of people who wanted to participate indicates how common and significant these problems are in the lives of many working people.  

The survey provides insights into the types of challenges workers are facing, and the unacceptable coping methods they have been forced into.

Survey insights

Among those who responded to the survey:  

• Over half (57.8%) do not always have the opportunity to use the toilet when they need to, with many citing a lack of breaks or access during shifts. These include train, bus and delivery drivers; teachers who cannot leave children unattended; and warehouse workers punished for taking time out to use the toilet.  
• Nearly half (45%) do not always have access to a toilet at all while at work. Workers who reported this problem include postal workers, firefighters responding to an incident, and construction and trades workers on-site or on-call.  
• 25% of those who do have access to toilets find they are either usually unclean, poorly functioning, or not at all fit for use.  
• Only 18.5% of respondents with a toilet at work say sanitary items (like pads or tampons) are provided by the employer. Another 25% said they did not know if these were provided or not. 

Some workers also reported a lack of facilities proportionate to the size of the workforce, including a lack of female toilets, despite there being clear regulations for this.

People from a wide range of occupations told us about their problems. This included:

A postal worker: “I have to keep a bottle, funnel, wipes and hand sanitiser in the back of the van in case my bladder can't hang on until the next available pub or public toilet.”

A train driver said: “We have to use plastic bags if doing a number two and bottles if doing a number one.”

A female firefighter said: “During a night shift I don’t drink as I should as there’s a great lack of facilities at an incident. This goes against hydration policy, but I don’t want to wet myself in front of a male-oriented workforce.”

A gas safety engineer said: “My toilet is a bucket, a blue roll, cold (stored) water and hand soap in the back of my van. I try to save "no 2s" for being near a big supermarket that has public toilets, but nature doesn't always allow it. It's disgusting, but that is the reality.”

Health, safety and toilet dignity

The TUC says that lack of toilet facilities not only denies workers dignity, it can also risk their health and safety.

Workers who ‘hold it in’ when they need to urinate are at greater risk of urinary tract infections, incontinence and kidney disease.

In 2022, a train driver died after being hit by a passing train. The Rail Accident Report found that he may have left his cab to urinate due to lack of facilities on the train.

The TUC is calling on employers to improve workers access to toilets by:

• Allowing their staff longer breaks when necessary to allow travel time to reach a toilet
• Partnering with local authorities and businesses to improve access for mobile workers
• Including toilet needs in health and safety risk assessments
• Providing reasonable adjustments to meet toilet needs as part of legal duties to disabled workers under the Equality Act

Public toilet provision has been in decline for many years in most parts of Britain. There is no statutory right of access to public toilets; and in most of Britain there is no statutory requirement for central government or local authorities on the extent of public toilet provision.

However, the Welsh government’s Public Health Act 2017 introduced a requirement for local authorities to publish a strategy for local toilets in their area.  

The TUC is also calling on UK government to review public toilet provision and to publish plans to improve provision as part of public health policy.  

TUC Assistant General Secretary Kate Bell said:  

“We all deserve dignity at work. But carrying a bucket or a bottle around as your toilet is not dignified for anyone. And holding out when you need to go can lead to health problems.

“Toilet access can be especially important for some, including pregnant workers or those with health conditions that may require frequent or fast access to a toilet.  

“It might not be something a person likes to talk about, so employers should consider how staff with specific toilet needs can have them met with dignity and confidentiality.

“The decline in public toilets had made life especially hard for people like delivery workers or tradespeople who are out and about all day. The Welsh government has legislated to improve provision as art of public health policy – we’d like the Westminster government to consider doing this too.”