Event Sanitation Checklist: The Complete Organiser Template

A Complete Sanitation Checklist for Event Organisers

Good sanitation planning is invisible. When you get it right, nobody notices — attendees use the facilities, wash their hands, and return to enjoying the event. When you get it wrong, it becomes the defining memory of your event. The queues, the mess, the smell, the complaints on social media.

This checklist is designed to prevent the second outcome. Work through it systematically during your planning process, and your sanitation provision will be thorough, compliant, and appropriate for your event.

Phase 1: Initial Planning (8 to 12 Weeks Before)

Estimate attendance

Your toilet provision is driven by the number of attendees. Be realistic — base your estimate on ticket sales, historical data, or informed projections rather than optimism.

• Confirmed ticket sales or registrations
• Expected walk-up attendance (if applicable)
• Staff, volunteers, and crew numbers
• VIP or backstage attendees requiring separate provision

Determine event characteristics

The following factors affect toilet ratios and provision:

• [ ] Event duration (number of hours)
• [ ] Single-day or multi-day
• [ ] Alcohol served? (increases toilet usage by approximately 25 percent)
• [ ] Food served? (increases overall site time and therefore toilet usage)
• [ ] Camping on site? (requires 24-hour provision and potentially showers)
• [ ] Male/female ratio (if known — affects unit type split)
• [ ] Accessible provision requirements
• [ ] Any specific welfare requirements (baby changing, Changing Places)

Calculate unit numbers

Use the following ratios as a starting point:

Standard events (daytime, no alcohol)

• 1 female toilet per 100 female attendees
• 1 male toilet or urinal per 150 male attendees

Events with alcohol

• Increase the above ratios by 25 percent

Events longer than 6 hours

• Increase by 20 to 30 percent

Multi-day events

• Calculate based on peak concurrent attendance, not total attendance

Accessible provision

• Minimum 1 accessible unit per event
• 1 accessible unit per 75 disabled attendees for larger events
• Minimum 2 accessible units at events over 1,000 attendees

Staff and crew

• Separate provision for staff, crew, and artists
• 1 unit per 15 to 20 staff working a full shift

Identify unit types needed

• [ ] Standard portable toilets
• [ ] Portable urinals
• [ ] Accessible portable toilets
• [ ] Luxury toilet trailers (for VIP areas or premium events)
• [ ] Toilet blocks (for high-volume areas)
• [ ] Baby changing facilities
• [ ] Handwash stations
• [ ] Showers (for multi-day camping events)

Phase 2: Site Planning (6 to 8 Weeks Before)

Site survey

Visit the site and assess the following:

• [ ] Ground conditions at proposed toilet locations (firm, level, well-drained?)
• [ ] Vehicle access routes for delivery and servicing (width, height, weight restrictions)
• [ ] Distance from main event area to proposed toilet locations
• [ ] Lighting availability or requirements at toilet locations
• [ ] Water supply availability (for handwash stations and showers)
• [ ] Drainage or waste water disposal options
• [ ] Power supply availability (for luxury trailers and showers)
• [ ] Approach path conditions for accessible units
• [ ] Wind direction (position toilets downwind of the main event area)

Create a site plan

Mark on your site plan:

• [ ] All toilet locations with unit types and quantities
• [ ] Accessible unit positions (closest to main area, on firmest ground)
• [ ] Handwash station positions (adjacent to toilet groups)
• [ ] Servicing vehicle access routes
• [ ] Signage positions directing attendees to facilities
• [ ] Lighting positions at toilet areas

Book your hire company

• [ ] Provide the hire company with your site plan and unit requirements
• [ ] Confirm unit types, quantities, and delivery date
• [ ] Confirm servicing arrangements for multi-day events
• [ ] Agree pricing — ensure quotes are fully inclusive (delivery, hire, servicing, collection)
• [ ] Arrange a site visit with the hire company if the site is complex
• [ ] Confirm contingency arrangements (can additional units be delivered at short notice?)

Phase 3: Detailed Preparation (2 to 4 Weeks Before)

Signage

• [ ] Directional signs from event entrance to toilet areas
• [ ] Signs at toilet areas indicating male, female, accessible, and baby change facilities
• [ ] "Out of order" signs (prepared in advance, just in case)
• [ ] Usage instructions (what not to flush, hand hygiene reminders)

Staffing

• [ ] Assign a named person responsible for sanitation during the event
• [ ] Brief stewards on toilet locations, accessible provision, and who to contact if there is a problem
• [ ] Assign stewards to check toilet areas at regular intervals (every 1 to 2 hours for large events)
• [ ] Arrange cleaning supplies for minor between-service tidying (mop, bucket, paper towels, bin bags)

Consumables

• [ ] Additional toilet paper (stored near the toilet areas for restocking)
• [ ] Hand sanitiser refills
• [ ] Soap for handwash stations
• [ ] Paper towels for handwash stations
• [ ] Bin bags for waste near toilet areas

Communication

• [ ] Include toilet location information in event programmes, apps, or information boards
• [ ] Brief event volunteers on toilet locations and accessibility
• [ ] Prepare a contact number for your hire company's emergency/out-of-hours service

Phase 4: Delivery Day

Before delivery

• [ ] Ensure access routes are clear for the delivery vehicle
• [ ] Mark unit positions on the ground if helpful
• [ ] Ensure ground preparation is complete (boards, matting, trackway if required)
• [ ] Have someone on site to direct the delivery driver

During delivery

• [ ] Check each unit on arrival — clean, undamaged, fully stocked, working lock
• [ ] Confirm positioning matches your site plan
• [ ] Check accessible units are correctly positioned (level ground, clear approach path)
• [ ] Check handwash stations are positioned adjacent to toilet groups
• [ ] Confirm water supply is connected (if applicable)

After delivery

• [ ] Walk the route from the event area to each toilet group — is it clear, well-signed, and accessible?
• [ ] Test each unit — lock, ventilation, stock
• [ ] Photograph the units as delivered (for condition reference)

Phase 5: During the Event

Regular checks (every 1 to 2 hours)

• [ ] Are units clean and stocked?
• [ ] Are any units out of order or damaged?
• [ ] Are queues manageable?
• [ ] Are accessible units available for those who need them (not occupied by non-disabled users)?
• [ ] Are handwash stations stocked and functioning?
• [ ] Is the area around the toilets clean and safe (no litter, trip hazards, standing water)?

Servicing visits (multi-day events)

• [ ] Confirm the hire company's servicing schedule
• [ ] Provide the servicing vehicle with site access at the agreed times
• [ ] Verify that servicing has been completed (check units after the service visit)

Problem response

• [ ] Have spare consumables available for restocking
• [ ] Know the hire company's emergency contact number
• [ ] Have a process for closing and signing an out-of-order unit
• [ ] Have a plan for obtaining additional units if demand exceeds supply

Phase 6: After the Event

Collection

• [ ] Agree collection date and time with the hire company
• [ ] Ensure access routes are clear for the collection vehicle
• [ ] Have someone on site to confirm unit locations to the driver

Review

• [ ] Were there enough units? (If queues were consistently long, you needed more)
• [ ] Were they in the right positions? (If some units were heavily used and others barely touched, reposition next time)
• [ ] Was servicing adequate? (If units deteriorated between services, increase frequency)
• [ ] Were there complaints about cleanliness, access, or availability?
• [ ] What would you change for next time?

Using This Checklist

Print this checklist. Work through it systematically. Delegate sections to the relevant people in your organising team. The sanitation plan is not the exciting part of event planning — but it is one of the parts that attendees notice most when it goes wrong.

If you need help working through any section, talk to your hire company early. A good hire company will help you plan, not just take your order.