The Regulatory Framework for Temporary Structures

Temporary structures at events — stages, grandstands, marquees, platforms, and associated equipment — are governed by a combination of legislation, British Standards, and guidance. The primary legal instruments are the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, and the Work at Height Regulations 2005 (where the construction of such structures involves working at height).

The events industry is also guided by BS 7909 (temporary electrical systems), BS 8550 (temporary structures), and guidance from the Institution of Structural Engineers on the design of temporary demountable structures. Local authorities, when granting licences for events, may impose conditions relating to temporary structures that reference these standards.

Portable toilet units are not typically classified as temporary structures in the structural engineering sense. However, their placement on sites with temporary structures, and the interaction between toilet compounds and other event infrastructure, brings welfare provision within the planning and safety management framework that applies to temporary structures.

Siting Near Temporary Structures: The Key Risks

Placing portable toilet units adjacent to or beneath temporary structures introduces several risks that must be addressed in event planning:

Structural collapse: A stage, grandstand, or demountable structure that fails can shed significant loads over a wide area. Toilet compounds placed within the collapse zone of a large temporary structure create a risk to occupants. Event safety planning should identify exclusion zones around major temporary structures and confirm that toilet compounds are outside those zones.

Wind loading: Portable toilet units are not designed to resist high wind loads in the same way that purpose-built temporary structures are. In exposed locations, units can be overturned in strong winds. The risk is greatest for units placed in exposed positions without physical anchoring or ballasting. Event safety plans for outdoor events should address wind load risks for all temporary equipment, including welfare provision.

Access and egress: Welfare compounds placed between temporary structures and site boundaries can create pinch points in emergency egress routes. The width of gaps between structures and toilet compounds should be checked against evacuation planning requirements — typically a minimum of 1.2 metres for pedestrian routes, and significantly wider where crowd densities are high.

Electrical proximity: Temporary electrical distribution at events (cabling, distribution boards, generators) must be positioned away from portable toilet units where possible, and cable routing should not create trip hazards or create water ingress risks near electrical equipment.

Wind and Stability Requirements

The Health and Safety Executive and the Events Industry Forum guidance both note that all temporary equipment at outdoor events should be assessed for stability, including in adverse weather conditions. For portable toilet units, this means:

  • Units in exposed positions should be ballasted or pegged to prevent wind uplift
  • Units should not be placed in positions where they would be channelled by wind gaps between larger structures
  • At events where extended adverse weather is forecast, servicing plans should include stability checks
  • Ground anchoring systems provided or recommended by the hire company should be used wherever the site layout and weather risk warrants them

Planning Consent for Temporary Structures

Certain temporary structures require planning consent or prior notification under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 (GPDO). Portable toilet units are generally covered by the temporary use permitted development rights in Class B of Part 4 of Schedule 2 to the GPDO, which allows temporary use of land for up to 28 days in any calendar year without specific planning consent — subject to conditions.

Organisers of events exceeding 28 days, or on land where the temporary use rights have already been used, should check whether planning consent is required. Local authorities can impose conditions on temporary use consents relating to the siting and management of all temporary equipment, including welfare facilities.

Building Regulations and Connected Structures

Where portable toilet units are connected to permanent structures — for example, where a hire unit is connected to the main building's water supply — the connection may engage Building Regulations 2010 requirements. This is unlikely to be the case for purely self-contained chemical units, but any unit connected to a mains water or drainage supply should be installed in compliance with the relevant Building Regulations Parts G (sanitation) and H (drainage).

The Event Structural Engineer's Role

For large public events with significant temporary infrastructure, a structural engineer will typically be engaged to review the design and installation of major temporary structures. It is increasingly common for the structural engineer's scope to include a review of the overall site layout, including the position of welfare compounds.

Organisers should include welfare compound positions in the site layout plan that is submitted for structural and safety review. Late changes to toilet compound positions — often made for operational reasons close to the event — should be re-reviewed against the safety plan.

Practical Guidance for Organisers and Site Managers

  • Include welfare unit positions in the site layout plan from the outset and ensure they are reviewed as part of the overall temporary structures assessment
  • Check that toilet compounds are outside identified collapse zones for major temporary structures
  • Assess wind exposure for welfare unit positions and use ballasting or anchoring where required
  • Ensure welfare unit placement does not create pinch points in emergency egress routes
  • Confirm electrical cable routing does not create hazards near welfare provision
  • Review siting if the site layout changes significantly between planning and event day
  • Brief the site manager or event safety officer on welfare compound positions and their inclusion in the emergency plan

Temporary structures regulation is a technically complex area. Portable toilet placement sits at its periphery, but it sits there nonetheless — and the consequences of getting the interaction wrong are, in a worst case, serious.