TOP TIPS SANITARY CONVENIENCES SANITARY CHECK Property operators, facilities managers and designers need to understand the provision of sanitary conveniences, washing facilities and drinking water, and to comply with regulations. This CIBSE guide aims to inform users about what they can do to ensure building environments are healthy, comfortable and productive E mployers have a duty to ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of their staff. This includes providing an adequate supply of drinking water and suitable, readily accessible, toilets. These also need to be kept clean and functional, as well as stocked with appropriate materials. The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations apply to a wide range of workplaces, including factories, shops, schools, hospitals, hotels and places of entertainment. How much provision is needed? Requirements for sanitary conveniences are set out in the Building Regulations. The minimum number of toilets depends on the size of the workforce: one toilet for up to five In the vicinity of changing rooms Provided with a clean supply of hot and cold (or warm) water where practicable, the supply should be of running water with soap or other cleaning means, and towels or other drying means Sufficiently ventilated and lit Kept clean and orderly. Separate washing facilities must be provided for male and female staff, except where a room is used by one person at a time, and can be secured from the inside. This does not apply to facilities for washing the hands, forearms and face only. An adequate supply of drinking water which must be wholesome, readily accessible and conspicuously marked must also be available, as well as sufficient cups, unless the water is supplied as a jet. Where a landlord provides the facilities, the employer must ensure these requirements are met. people; two for up to 25; three for up to 50. An employer should provide an effective toilet flusher, toilet paper and a coat hook, as well as a bin for sanitary dressings where toilets are used by women. Special provision should be made for workers with disabilities. Separate rooms must be provided for men and women, except where a toilet is in a room used by one person at a time and has a lockable door. Readily accessible, suitable and sufficient washing facilities including showers must also be provided for health reasons or where the nature of the work requires it. Washing facilities will be considered suitable if they are: In the immediate vicinity of sanitary conveniences CIBSE TOP TIPS CIBSE regularly publishes short guides for property operators, facilities managers and designers. This information sheet is the third in the series. See more here Cleaning and housekeeping Toilets and sanitary conveniences must be kept clean and in good order, with ready availability of necessary materials, and washing facilities in the immediate vicinity for toilets. Prompt, reactive maintenance is essential for all toilets. Toilet rooms must be adequately ventilated and lit, while sanitary accommodation and washing facilities including showers should ensure the privacy of the user. Maintenance, examination and testing Any cistern, tank or vessel used as a drinking-water supply should be covered, kept clean and tested, and disinfected as necessary. Repair and maintenance work should be carried out regularly, with a preventive maintenance schedule in place for example, to ensure that taps and appliances are descaled regularly in hard-water areas, lights are working, and surfaces are hygienic. Drinking-water taps should be cleaned and sanitised with a mild household disinfectant. The frequency of maintenance, and precisely what it involves, will depend on Design and installation the equipment or device in question. The The designers objective is to create a sanitary system that complies with current age and condition of equipment, how and how often it is used should also Building Regulations, is environmentally compliant, meets the needs of the building be taken into account. Sources of advice include published Health and Safety occupants and has good life expectancy. Access doors and covers should be easy Executive (HSE) guidance, British and EC standards, manufacturers information to open, and constructed and installed to and instructions, and trade literature. suit the particular type of building. Failing to provide Suitable and appropriate sanitary conveniences and drinking water are legal requirements at work, and failing to provide them could result in a prosecution, leading to a fine or imprisonment, as well as adverse publicity. Employees, visitors and the public expect that such facilities will be available in a clean, useable condition. Failure to provide them suggests an employer has no interest in the welfare, health and safety of their staff. CJ eOR RMadE CIBSE TOP TIPS General references: 1 Under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. 2 TSO (1974) Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (Ch 37) (London: TSO). 3 TSO (1992) Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 No. 3004 (London: TSO).