These issues can be addressed by providing soap and paper in closed dispensers that naturally control consumption and prevent waste and mess.


All Tork Elevation dispensers are lockable to prevent vandalism, pilferage or contamination of the product inside. Tork Extra Mild Foam Soap is a particularly good option in schools because it is safe for children, quick to lather and comes in a dispenser that has been purpose- designed to be easy to use by people with low hand strength. Each cartridge caters for up to 1,650 visitors compared with around 1,000 in most liquid soap systems, which means the supply will last significantly longer.


C-fold hand towels are often supplied in schools because they are a low-cost option. But these can lead to excessive consumption, unnecessary waste and mess – particularly if the towels are supplied in loose bundles piled up on the units. Any pupil picking up a towel will inevitably drip water on to the other towels and make the whole supply unusable.


Even when a C-fold dispenser is installed it is all too easy to take out clumps of towels at a time. The unused towels will then be discarded on washroom units or dropped on the floor where they will become damp and soiled.


The Tork PeakServe Continuous Hand Towel is a good alternative in schools because the dispenser caters for more than 1,000 pupils between refills which means the supply will not run out, even during the busiest of recess periods. The dispenser protects the towels before use and gives out only one at a time to prevent over-consumption, mess and waste.


The Tork SmartOne toilet tissue system also works well because the dispenser is designed to give out only one sheet at a time. This helps to reduce consumption by up to 40% while also preventing blockages because less paper enters the system at each flush.


Runouts can also be avoided with the aid of technology. For example, Tork Vision Cleaning allows cleaners to check on refill requirements via a smartphone or tablet, allowing them to tell at a glance when a unit is running out


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of soap and paper. Sensors in the washroom also monitor frequency of use, enabling cleaners to target those facilities that might need extra attention.


There are other steps that can be taken to improve the school washroom for pupils. Clean, fresh paint and good lighting will make the facilities appear more sanitary and welcoming, while air fresheners will help to eliminate bad smells. And children will be encouraged to look after the facilities if they are educated in hand hygiene and its role in controlling infections. The Tork Max Education Toolkit includes workbooks, activity cards and posters to help promote hand washing in schools.


Pot plants in the school washrooms could work well provided the pupils themselves were motivated to look after them. Other suggestions by pupils in the GTO competition included installing whiteboards for adding jokes – which may be a good idea, but could attract unkind graffiti instead. And another suggestion, incorporating football goal murals in the urinals to encourage a better aim among male students, could well be fun but might lead to lengthier washroom visits.


But the key finding of the summit was that students seem to care – and care a great deal - about the state of their washrooms and are keen to improve them. According to the German School Toilet Summit, the state of the toilets rank alongside bullying and poor lunch options among factors that can undermine students’ educational experience. And avoiding using the facilities can lead to health problems including stomach aches, constipation and urinary tract infections.


So perhaps we in the UK could take a leaf out of the Germans’ book and ask our own pupils to speak up about their school washroom concerns so that these can be properly addressed.


www.tork.co.uk TOMORROW’S FM | 49


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