The British Toilet Association has been campaigning for better ‘away from home toilets’ throughout the UK since 1999 and believes that public toilets should be available to a town or city’s residents and visitors and provide facilities for all types of users: ladies, gents, children, babies, the aged and those with physical or mental disability. These toilets should be available when the users need them, as many people with medical conditions, and particularly the aged, must use a toilet facility when they need it, and won’t leave home or travel unless they are available.

There are many aspects that require careful consideration and attention when planning or providing publicly accessible toilets. Some of these are referred to below and a BTA Summary of Best Practice Advice is available to members and includes guidance on all aspects of ‘away from home toilet’ provision.

Signage should include directional signage, particularly important for visitors to a town, city or attraction. Signs should show the direction and distance to the nearest toilet with symbols for the various available facilities, e.g. Ladies, Gents, Accessible, Baby Change or Changing Places. A sign at the entrance to the toilets should also display symbols for all facilities available, contact details for the provider and opening times.

The toilet block should be designed with respect to user needs, in terms of ergonomic and social factors. It is especially important that inadequate toilet design does not act as a barrier to access for those with a disability. Design should include instinctive fixtures and fittings that are obvious to use without instructions, glare-free fixtures and fittings etc.

Health and Safety considerations should be taken into account in respect of both toilet users and toilet staff, and therefore materials should be chosen that reduce chances of slipping, falling, infecting or cutting users. Non-slip continuous flooring should be used in preference to material with joins and no sharp edges should be exposed.

Pale colours and white, are better in terms of giving a light and clean appearance, but may encourage graffiti in toilets (for public use). To meet the needs of visually impaired people, there should be a strong colour contrast between doors and walls, with essential grab rails. Sound preventative maintenance programmes and proper programme performance monitoring will ensure that operational problems are minimised along with reduced closure periods.

Energy saving fixtures and fittings should be installed. These include automatic lighting controls, automatic tap water, urinal and toilet cistern flushing with potentially solar powered lighting and water heating systems where appropriate. Maximum use must be made of natural lighting and ventilation.

In addition to toilet tissue dispensing, adequate soap dispensers and feminine hygiene disposal; standard fittings should include wall mirrors, worktops on which to place bags and other hand held items, and hooks fixed in each toilet cubicle to hold outer clothing and keep them off the floor. There are a range of energy efficient and effective hot and cool air hand dryers available, or if paper hand drying is preferred, adequate wall mounted metal disposal bins will be required.  

The importance of a high standard of cleanliness cannot be overstated and this is the best way to prevent misuse and minimise the infection risks that un-hygienic facilities present. Higher standards of cleaning are achieved by having clear, cleaning specifications and properly trained staff. Attention should be given to the training of toilet attendants and cleaners, through, for example, the BICS (British Institute of Cleaning Science) NVQ courses.

Inspections by senior provider management should take place once per week in high usage toilets and once a month in low usage sites, to ensure proper standards of hygiene are being adhered to. 

All toilet providers have a responsibility to ensure that all toilets comply with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act. All toilets in public places should also cater for the needs of parents of either sex with babies and young children. The best designed facilities baby change/family facilities are separate cubicles/rooms catering for both sexes.
An investment in security, e.g. high levels of illumination, both internally and externally, exposed entrances, the use of full time attendants, and if necessary, the use of CCTV cameras, will provide a safe environment, reduce vandalism/graffiti, deter anti social behaviour and minimise the need for repairs as a consequence of abuse.

All toilet providers should consider participating in the annual Loo of the Year Awards, the recognised ‘National Standard’ for away from home toilets, and enter their toilets, and staff in the Attendant of the Year Awards. This will provide the opportunity for the facilities and the attendants to be recognised and rewarded for their high standards of away from home toilet provision and provide a cost effective way of receiving an independent assessment of the standard of their loos.

The basis of a Partnership Toilet Scheme (PTS), between Local Authorities and local businesses, that are prepared to provide access to the public to their toilets, is that members of the public, including taxi drivers, can use the ‘partners’ toilets throughout their opening hours and the public users do not need to make a purchase.

The BTA believe that provided the Schemes are planned, implemented and monitored in a professional way, this additional provision of accessible toilets will extend the level of facilities to all of a town or cities’ users. We cannot however accept that the implementation of a PTS can replace the existing Local Authority provided public toilets, which should remain as the main public toilet provision, purpose built to meet the needs of all types of users, providing access to all without any real or imaginary barriers.

Mike Bone, Director, British Toilet Association
www.britloos.co.uk  www.loo.co.uk
Email: enquiries@britloos.co.uk
Phone: 01403 258779