Feature
Workplace Toilets:
Covid19 & Future Safety By Raymond Martin, MD of the British Toilet Association
Everyone involved in our industry fully understands the importance of these essential facilities and the need to keep them hygienically clean and well provisioned. So we need to focus in what can be done immediately to get both public and workplace toilets and bathrooms fit for customers and clients to use safely; whilst being very mindful of the health and safety of our cleaners and service operatives. Our fantastic (invisible) army of “frontline” workers who we all expect to tackle this very real viral threat every day, to keep us from future harm or contamination.
Many toilets in the UK have continued to be poorly designed and incorrectly fitted for a continuously expanding range of users. Even though British Standards continues to update BS6465 Parts 1-4 for the majority of facilities and BS8300 for accessible units, we often find that the installation and upgrading of many units shows a lack of adherence to these standards and more worryingly a lack of understanding when it comes to how and why the majority of individuals use these facilities.
Obviously, we all have a priority to get the greatest number of toilets reopened quickly and safely; but post Covid19 the industry is calling for a rethink in layout, grading and usage. The industry is now being forced to reconsider design and functionality. We must focus on
everything from approaching and queueing at the front door - through to the columns of clearance inside communal areas and cubicles – to the importance of keeping touch surfaces and handrails clean and functional, and more especially the routine cleaning protocols to protect us from contamination or further transmission.
Properly positioned signage will continue to be a mandatory
requirement for some time ahead but the public has a tendency to quickly tire and it will lose its impact. We have an urgent need and an opportunity to put right years of putting up with what we knew was wrong. Toilets without lids allow a “plume” of micro particulates to rise around 1.5 mtr above the bowl and contaminate the walls and inner doors of the cubicles. Innovation is already underway to link an automatic flushing mechanism to the lid closure, should be a two for one solution. As with taps and dispensers, I/R technology will become more widely used for various functionality (flushing/taps/dispensers) - but these units can cause difficulties for persons with accessibility issues. Many soap dispensers may understandably transform into sanitizer units, at least until we see the end of this viral threat; but both solutions are still valid. Hot air handryers and paper towels are equally effective for drying and we may see the expanded use of Ultra- Violet light (UV) as an added hygiene provisions to be offered. Please
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note: extreme care should be applied when installing these units and allowing UV light to be used by clients or the public.
We’ve all become well versed to the social distancing rules so toilets and bathrooms will need to be monitored and closely controlled to
avoid unnecessary congregation. Whilst we know many providers are using additional staff to control the through-put of users; Entry/Exit system would seem to be a future solution. A traffic light or arrow system that controls the number of persons allowed into the facilities at any one time. The problem may come when larger gatherings are arranged such as festivals/concerts/sports. All of these venues will
inevitably encounter difficulties when the intervals or breaks arrive. A lot will depend on the good will and respect of our users.
Across the country we are already encouraging the installation of “paddle gates” to control entry. This had been considered for some time to reduce the amount of anti-social activity and vandalism that is
regularly experienced. However, the rising costs of this installation plus extra cleaning & hygiene control as well as retraining staff and cleaning operatives is going to have to be recovered. We are expecting to see entry fees for public toilets rising to a min of 50p and may in many cases become closer to £1. The introduction of “contactless” payment card readers is accelerating in all local retail and businesses and so it will be with publicly accessible toilets. “Dirty money” will slowly
disappear and this will bring savings for the suppliers – reduce attacks from vandals/thieves – replace the need for special keys or locks. There is a growing perception that the industry would significantly benefit from the return of full or part-time attendants in prime locations.
Ventilation is still an unknown quantity until we receive some clearer guidance. This current virus is an airborne threat and high winds and/or pressure might be a deciding factor in opening windows and doors or the use of ozone/air-cleaning units. Many new chemicals and preparation systems are evolving and extreme care should be applied to the correct cleaning techniques and handling of chemicals. Allowing unexperienced or untrained cleaning operatives to mix chemicals can be dangerous and potentially lethal.
Working directly with the BSI it is our intention to put forward a series of recommendations to support the evolution of a new or
revised standard for the future toilet and bathroom specifications. Whilst we continue to learn and gain knowledge of this viral threat - all ideas and thoughts are welcomed.
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