Hospitals' washrooms see tremendous footfall and need to cater to an incredibly wide range of users. This makes accessibility one of the biggest priorities in new build and refurbishment projects, alongside user safety and hygiene.
Creating an easy, clean wash space makes daily cleaning schedules much simpler and can often reduce the amount of maintenance required. In this feature, we take a look at some critical items in the hospital washroom, which serve as a useful reference for site managers and caretakers.
Do my washbasins comply?
To comply with Health Technical Memorandum 64 (HTM64), a department of health publication that provides guidelines specifically for the health care sector, washbasins must have their waste outlets positioned horizontally at the bottom of the unit's back wall. This means that the water from the tap doesn’t flow directly over the top of the plughole, but that water trickles away to the rear of the washbasin.
The washbasin must also have no plug, chains, or holes for taps, making it very easy to clean and removing any nooks or crannies where bacteria can gather. HTM64 needs to be complied with if you are in a new build setting or refurbishing existing toilets.
How about the taps?
As you’ve probably gathered from the washbasin information above, taps are best wall-mounted to comply with HTM64. You’ll need to cater for those with impaired mobility, and so opting for a tap that can be operated with an elbow or closed fist is going to see you right. Sensor taps are a sensible and popular choice here, as they never need to be physically touched to use, improving hygiene significantly. As there are no moving parts on the tap, it's less prone to accidental damage and wear and tear. Whichever tap you choose, make sure the model has an open nozzle and a flow straightener.
If you’d like more advice on taps and sensor taps, just give us a call.
Ok, but have I got accessibility covered?
Of course, accessibility needs to be considered, and in most cases, you’ll find yourself creating accessible washrooms for people with disabilities, including those with ambulant disabilities. This includes things like Doc-M toilet packs, which include all the grab rails needed, as well as a raised height toilet pan. Both ambulant and disabled washrooms require an outward-opening door and additional space for manoeuvring. You might also want to include a shelf near the toilet for those who use a colostomy bag.
If you’d like further information on disabled washroom dimensions and requirements, you can read our earlier post, What are the standard Toilet Cubicle Sizes?
A note on antibacterial gel dispensers
These dispensers are commonplace in all hospital areas, from hallway doors to patient waiting rooms. While some hospitals locate antibacterial gel dispensers within the washroom, many are now opting to situate them outside the washroom, so that hands are sanitised after, not before, touching the toilet door handles to leave the washroom.
Don’t forget safety flooring
If you’ve been managing a health care institution for any length of time, you’ll be well versed in safety flooring needs. In hospitals, safety flooring is fitted much like lino, but with the floor covering lapping up the first few inches of the wall, creating a kind of water-tight integrated skirting board. This is essential and greatly aids deep cleaning. You’ll almost certainly want to try and include a floor drain outlet too, which will need to be routinely and thoroughly checked – more on this in a second.
Creating or adjusting water safety plans (WSPs)
If you're constructing a new build washroom, then a water safety plan will need to be developed and put in place to monitor, check, clean, and generally ensure your water and waste are safe for users and not a breeding ground for bacteria. In a refurbishment project, you might still need to review existing WSPs, as new outlets, mains feeds, and the aforementioned floor drains will need to be routinely maintained.
Some of the main parts of a WSP follow:
1. TMV3 mixer valves
You'll need to ensure you have TMV3 mixer valves fitted, devices that blend the hot and cold water feeds to a controlled temperature so users can't scald themselves.
2. Legionella checks
This is to make sure your water supply doesn’t carry Legionella bacteria, which can lead to Legionnaires ' disease, a lung infection similar to pneumonia. Legionella checks involve a series of procedures conducted weekly, monthly, quarterly, semiannually, and annually. This can be outsourced or carried out by site managers themselves.
3. P. Aeruginosa risk assessments
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a bacterium associated with disease in humans and thrives in moist, wet environments. P. Aeruginosa is a bacterium that needs very few nutrients to survive and can be found in the last two metres of the water supply before the outlet.
Given the wide range of environments in which this bacterium can be found and the diverse ways it can be contracted, rigorous risk assessments are needed. For instance, you could contract the bacteria by washing, consuming, or bathing in contaminated water, or by breathing air in areas where it may be present. Checks and risk assessments need to be carried out at regular intervals on the storage of your water supply and on events that occur during its delivery.
Other important considerations
The red emergency pull cord is obvious, but also make sure you think about ventilation. Ventilation will also form part of your WSP, as you’ll need to control the room's humidity and temperature to avoid creating ideal breeding conditions for bacteria. Further sensor activation is also a sensible choice and can be implemented with both toilet and urinal flushing, water outlet flow, hand dryers, and lighting. Sensor activation also ensures that utilities like electricity and water are used only when a user is present, reducing the risk of items being left on.
As always, our team is at the end of the telephone for all your queries and questions and has a wealth of knowledge they’re happy to share with you. If you need some guidance or would like to talk through your options, you can give them a call on 01202 650900.
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