Building Standards technical handbook 2017: non-domestic buildings

It is important that sanitary facilities address the needs of occupants and visitors, both in terms of availability and accessibility. Facilities should be sufficient in number to prevent queuing, other than in exceptional circumstances. Variety in the range of provision will assist not only people with a mobility or sensory impairment but also benefit older people, those with babies or young children or encumbered by luggage.

Sanitary accommodation should not be an afterthought in the planning of a building, as this can result in facilities that are small or in awkward locations, making them difficult to access and use. Common issues include screening of the facilities that results in small lobbies and the use of white finishes, sanitary facilities and fittings to suggest cleanliness, creating difficulty for a person with a visual impairment.

Whilst guidance is offered on a variety of building types, some may not be categorised easily. In such cases, designers will need to discuss specific provision with client and user groups and consider the guidance given under this standard to arrive at a practical solution.

Changing Places Toilet (CPT) – is a toilet with a changing facility that is suitable for use by people that have profound and multiple learning disabilities or other disabilities and for whom standard accessible toilets may not be fit for purpose. A CPT is provided where the building owner chooses to do so and their installation represents best practice.  

To be registered on the Changing Places’ national register all new CPTs need to meet the standards specified by the Changing Places Consortium (CPC). Meeting the consortium's standards will mean that registered facilities should meet the needs and expectations of the people who use them as well as their carers.

The human body absorbs lead easily from drinking water and this can have a negative effect on the intellectual development of young children. Although mains water supplies do not contain significant levels of lead, recent research studies have shown that leaded solder plumbing fittings, normally used for heating systems, have been used on drinking water pipework in contravention of the Scottish Water Byelaws 2004. Further guidance can be obtained from Scotland and Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers Federation (SNIPEF) http://www.snipef.co.uk/ and Scottish Water http://www.scottishwater.co.uk/.

Conversions - in the case of conversions as specified in regulation 4, the building as converted shall meet the requirement of this standard (regulation 12, schedule 6).

The number of sanitary facilities provided within a building should be calculated from the maximum number of persons the building is likely to accommodate at any time, based upon the normal use of the building.

Separate male and female sanitary accommodation is usually provided. This should be based upon the proportion of males and females that will use a building, where this is known, or provide accommodation for equal numbers of each sex otherwise.

Unisex sanitary accommodation may be provided where each sanitary facility, or a WC and wash hand basin, is located within a separate space, for use by only one person at a time, with a door that can be secured from within for privacy.

Small businesses - in small premises, it is recognised that duplication of sanitary facilities may not always be reasonably practicable and that they might be shared between staff and customers. However where practicable, it is good practice for sanitary facilities for staff involved in the preparation or serving of food or drink to be reserved for their sole use, with a separate provision made for customers. Separate hand washing facilities for such staff should always be provided.

Changing Places Toilets (CPTs) - There is no requirement to provide a CPT in terms of building regulations, however, where a CPT is proposed the following guidance should assist the design and construction.  

There are many building types best suited for CPT installations including publicly accessible facilities such as shopping malls, entertainment or assembly buildings and transport related facilities. Provision of CPTs within suitable buildings is important to establish a network of facilities at appropriate locations across the country.  

A typical CPT installation should include the following key elements:

In addition to the building related elements, a fully equipped CPT relies on the installation of additional equipment and specialist fittings, such as a height adjustable adult sized changing bench (minimum length 1.8m).  

When altering or converting existing buildings, particularly historical buildings, it may be impractical to provide a CPT that achieves all of the above key elements. In such cases alternative solutions, that still meet the needs of most users and their carers may be considered. Early consultation with the Changing Places Consortium will be beneficial in these cases. Further information, including a specification, can be found at the website of the Changing Places Consortium (www.changing-places.org) and BS 8300: 2009.  

CPTs should generally not be installed instead of accessible sanitary accommodation (see clause 3.12.7).

Schools - the numbers of sanitary facilities in schools should be provided in accordance with the tables in the School Premises (General Requirements and Standards) (Scotland) Regulations 1967, as amended. The recommendations within BS 6465-1: 2006 may also be helpful. However the School Premises Regulations do not address accessible sanitary facilities which therefore should be provided in accordance with the guidance to this standard.

Specialist buildings - a building providing a service registered or proposing to register under the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001, such as residential care buildings, day care centres and hospices, may be subject to additional standards set out in the relevant National Care Standards document for that service.

Accessible toilets should be provided within the overall number of sanitary facilities recommended in the various tables in the guidance to this standard, as either:

The number required will be dependent upon travel distances within a building to an accessible toilet.

A building should be provided with sanitary facilities for staff in accordance with the following table:

Public expectation of facilities in residential buildings has risen considerably over the years and en suite sanitary facilities now tends to be normal practice, though it is recognised that this may not be possible in all cases.

Where sanitary accommodation is not en suite to bedrooms, it should be located directly off a circulation area, close to bedrooms and provided in accordance with the following table:

Additional information:

In a residential building, an accessible bedroom (see clause 4.2.9) should be provided with accessible sanitary accommodation. This should comprise of a WC, wash hand basin and a bath or shower and should be en suite to each accessible bedroom, other than:

Where accessible sanitary accommodation is not en suite, it should be located directly off a circulation area, close to any accessible bedroom, and should be clearly identified.

Sanitary accommodation for customers within shops and shopping malls should be clearly identified and located so that it may be easily reached. It should be provided on the entrance storey and, in larger buildings of more than 2 storeys, with a total sales floor area greater than 4,000m², on every alternate storey. Provision should be as follows:

Additional information:

It is not realistic to include every type of entertainment building and assembly building in the table below. Basic assumptions and reasonable deductions have to be made that best apply to the development under consideration. Provision should be in accordance with the following table:

Additional information:

Provisions made within sanitary accommodation will affect the degree to which the needs of building users are addressed in terms of safety, ease of use and hygiene. To ensure that these issues are addressed, the following provisions should be made within all sanitary accommodation:

Figure 3.29. Space within sanitary accommodation and enlarged WC Cubicle

In addition to the points noted above, every toilet should:

In addition, every bathroom or shower room should have a floor surface that minimises the risk of slipping when wet.

Space provision within accessible sanitary accommodation is based primarily upon that needed to accommodate a person in a wheelchair, though this will also offer greater amenity to a wide range of other building users and better allow for assisted use.

Space for manoeuvring and the positioning and relationship of sanitary facilities and assistive aids are the key elements that will allow convenient use of accessible sanitary facilities, with or without assistance and in privacy. At least one sanitary facility of each type provided within a building should be within accessible sanitary accommodation.

Toilets - in addition to the general provisions in clause 3.12.6, accessible sanitary accommodation should:

Coat hooks, mirrors, toilet paper dispensers and other fixtures that may further assist in use of accessible sanitary accommodation are outwith the remit of the building standards. Advice on provision and location may be found in BS 8300: 2001.

Provision in existing and historic buildings - when altering existing buildings, particularly historical buildings, it may be impractical to provide accessible sanitary accommodation of a size and form equivalent to that described in guidance. In such cases, alternate accommodation that still permits independent use by most wheelchair users, may be considered.

An accessible toilet should be provided in any building with toilet facilities. There should be an accessible toilet at any location where other toilets are provided, unless all occupied parts of the building lie within the travel distance, noted in clause 3.12.9, to another accessible toilet elsewhere in the building.

In addition to the recommendations within clauses 3.12.6 and 3.12.7, an accessible toilet should include a WC with:

Figure 3.30. Provision within an accessible toilet

The time taken to get to an accessible toilet is an important factor to be considered when positioning such sanitary facilities within a building. They should be located where they can be reached easily and the horizontal distance from any part of a building to an accessible toilet should be not more than 45m.

Where there are no toilets on a storey, all occupied parts of that storey should be within 45m of the nearest accessible toilets on an adjacent storey. Any vertical travel by lift need may be discounted but should be limited to one storey.

Where areas within a building are not accessible at certain times, such as where classroom blocks are locked out of hours in a community school, the effect of this on travel distance should taken into account when positioning accessible toilets.

Where people are moving around, such as within the retail area of a large superstore or the concourse of a shopping mall, their distance from an accessible toilet will vary. In such areas, the travel distance may be increased to not more than 100m, provided there are no barriers, such as pass doors or changes of level on the route and the location of the accessible toilet is well signposted. However where people congregate in such areas, such as at a reception desk or at café seating, travel distance should remain not more than 45m.

The availability of accessible sanitary facilities is particularly important within residential buildings or sports facilities, where bathing or showering form an integral part of activities. A person should be able to use such sanitary facilities in privacy, with or without assistance.

In a building where baths or showers are provided, accessible sanitary accommodation should be provided at a ratio of 1 in 20 or part thereof, for each type of sanitary facility provided.

In addition to the recommendations within clauses 3.12.6 and 3.12.7, an accessible shower room or bathroom should:

Figure 3.31. Provisions within an accessible bathroom

For most people, a level access shower is generally both easier and more convenient to use than a bath and, therefore, should always be included within a building where sanitary facilities for bathing are provided. An accessible shower should be separate or screened from other accommodation, to allow privacy when bathing.

Figure 3.32. Provisions within an accessible shower room

Communal showering areas - in addition, a shower area without separating cubicles, such as found within sporting facilities, which comprises of 10 or more showers should include at least one communal shower with the above provisions.

Separate toilet facilities - to avoid undue waiting times, where an accessible bath or shower is combined with accessible toilet facilities, there should also be a separate accessible toilet provided within the travel distance specified in clause 3.12.9.

As with bathing or showering, the accessibility of changing facilities is particularly important where forming an integral part of activities, such as in sporting facilities, staff changing areas in a place of work or for customers within a clothing shop.

Where individual facilities for changing are provided in a building, at least 1 cubicle in 20, or part thereof, should be of a size and form that will allow use by a wheelchair user, and follow the recommendations within clause 3.12.7. An accessible changing facility should be separate or screened from other accommodation to allow privacy when changing.

Communal changing - in addition, a changing area without separating cubicles, such as found within sporting facilities, to which the public have access and which is intended to accommodate 20 or more people should also include provision for accessible communal changing.

Combine facility - for convenience of use, an accessible changing facility may be combined with an accessible bathing or showering facility to give a combined facility offering privacy in bathing and dressing. In such cases, where a shower is provided, a second fold down seat should be fitted outwith the showering area and manoeuvring space to assist in drying and changing.

Where changing facilities incorporate fixed furniture such as lockers for clothing or personal effects, those assigned to accessible facilities should be positioned within 1.0m of floor level.

Figure 3.33. Provisions within an accessible changing facility

In principle, a changing facility for babies should be provided in any building open to the public where such children will usually be present, such as in shops, assembly buildings and entertainment buildings. It is important that such facilities are accessible, both to accommodate a pram or buggy and to permit use by a person with mobility impairment.

Accommodating such a facility within smaller buildings may not be reasonably practicable and, in recognition of this, it need not be provided in all such buildings. However there should be baby changing facilities in:

If baby changing facilities are located within a toilet, they will reduce the number of available toilets within a building when in use. Where the toilet in question is also the only accessible toilet, this can cause additional inconvenience.

Baby changing facilities should be provided either as a separate unisex facility or as a dedicated space within both male and female sanitary accommodation and not within an accessible toilet and should contain: