How many accessible portable toilets does a Nashville event need?

What share does the form set?

At least 5% of the portable toilets provided for an event, rounded up to a whole number.

The share is applied to the whole provision on the form, and the rounding goes up. The form's own example gives a minimum of two accessible units for 25 units. A reviewer will check the arithmetic against the count on the plan, so the two should agree.

The count should be stated on the plan with the total and the accessible number, so the check takes a moment rather than a question.

Why is the form's date important?

The application in the search result is dated 2017, which makes it a form to confirm rather than a current statement of the rule.

A page that presented a 2017 form as the current law would be stating more than the source supports. The honest position is that Metro's event application sets the share, and the Office of Film and Special Events should be asked whether it is current before the plan is filed.

If the office confirms a different figure, the plan follows the office's current figure, not the one on this page.

How should accessible units be spread across the grounds?

Across the grounds at the points where the crowd gathers, rather than in one group at the edge, so no visitor has to cross the whole site to reach one.

A downtown street event has several gathering points, and an accessible unit near each is more useful than all of them at one corner. A park event has the lawn, the path and the gate, and each needs its own nearby accessible unit.

The layout map should show where each accessible unit stands and the route from the nearest path or entrance.

What makes an accessible unit usable?

A firm, level route from a main path, enough room to turn at the door, and a unit that is clean and in working order when the visitor arrives.

The route is the part most often missed. A marked unit at the end of a soft lawn is not accessible in practice, so the surface should be firm and clear of obstacles.

The unit should be serviced on a schedule that keeps it usable through the event, and the route should be checked each morning and after rain.

• A firm, level route from the nearest path
• Enough room to turn at the door
• A clean unit with supplies in place
• A route checked each morning and after rain
• The accessible unit marked on the layout map

What about a small event?

The share still applies when the event provides any portable toilets, and a small event with two or three units should confirm the expected number of accessible units with the office.

A small event often has a few units and a crowd that is hard to predict. Planning for at least one accessible unit from the start avoids a late change to the plan.

The organizer should keep a note of the count and the accessible units in the file, so the reviewer can see the arithmetic applied to the event as it is planned.

Where does the Massachusetts rule come in?

It does not apply in Nashville. The Massachusetts notice is a state rule for Massachusetts events and is not a Tennessee or Metro requirement.

A Nashville event follows Metro's application and the federal and state rules that apply in Tennessee. This page does not restate the federal standards, which are separate sources.

An event organizer who works in more than one state should check each state's rule for its own events.

How do you check the count in the field?

Walk the grounds with the layout map in hand, count the units in each cluster, and confirm the accessible units are where the map shows them. The check takes a few minutes and catches most mistakes before the crowd arrives.

Start at the main entrance and walk the path the crowd will use. Mark each cluster and each accessible unit as you reach it, and compare the counts with the plan.

Look at the route to each accessible unit. A route that has become soft or blocked by a stage build is the most common field problem, and it is fixed before the gates open.

What if a unit is moved on the day?

A moved unit keeps its accessible status only if the new spot has the same firm route. A move that puts an accessible unit on soft ground or behind a barrier must be reversed.

The organizer should tell the provider and the event team at once, and the map should be updated with the new position. A change that affects the layout the office approved should be reported to the office.

A moved unit that loses its route should be replaced by an accessible unit placed where the route is firm.

Who is responsible for the accessible count?

The event organizer is responsible for the plan and the count under the application. The provider supplies the units and the servicing, and it confirms the accessible units it has been asked to place.

The organizer should ask the provider in writing which units are accessible and where they stand, and keep the reply with the plan.

A permit reviewer may ask the organizer, not the provider, to explain the count. The arithmetic should therefore be the organizer's own.

What does the form ask the organizer to state?

The organizer states the number of portable toilets provided, the number that are accessible and where they stand on the layout map. The form's arithmetic is then checked against those three items.

A clear statement on the form saves a round of questions, because the reviewer can check the count without going back to the plan.

The statement should match the count the provider confirms in writing, so the two documents agree.

How are accessible units counted across several spaces?

Each space is counted on its own, and the accessible units are shown on the map for that space. The total is the sum of the spaces, and the reviewer can check each part of it.

A festival in a park and on a closed street has two groups of units and two counts, and the form's share applies within the provision as the application describes it.

The count is stated for each space and for the total, so the reviewer does not need to add the figures.

What should a volunteer or steward know about accessible units?

Stewards should know where each accessible unit stands and how to direct a visitor to it, and the route should be walked with them before the gates open.

A short briefing with a map is enough. The steward should be able to say which path leads to the accessible unit and how long the walk is from each gate.

A steward who knows the route can also report a blocked path quickly, so the fix is made before a visitor finds the blockage.