Post-COVID Restroom Strategy

Post-COVID Restroom Strategy An attempt to create a touch-free environment

Contributors: Nathan Daniel, Jeff Floyd, & Shawn Mottern

Post-COVID Restroom Strategy: An attempt to create a touch-free environement

by Nathan Daniel, Jeff Floyd, & Shawn Mottern The office gang restroom is said to be the primary deterrent to companies reopening. To address physical distancing, hygiene, and sanitization needs in gang restrooms, the following strategies may be appropriate:

Egress/Ingress • Restroom entry doors should have a non-contact automatic door opener such as wave-activated ingress and motion-activated egress • Where rated walls are not required, “S” shaped restrooms can eliminate entry doors while maintaining a controlled line of sight.

Cleaning and maintenance

RESTROOM EXAMPLE 1

• Specify smooth, non-porous, and antimicrobial surfaces • Provide self-cleaning toilets and urinals • Provide automated disinfectant sprays • Integrate light disinfection technology

Individual stalls Floor-to-ceiling, fully enclosed water closets can provide additional protection through: • Touchless flush fixtures • Touchless toilet paper dispensers • Sensor-activated up/down toilet lids • HVAC exhaust and controlled fresh air input for each individual stall • Individual toilet stalls with increased width to 4’-0” to allow for easier cleaning

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RESTROOM EXAMPLE 2

• Lavatories spaced 6’ apart • Floor to ceiling walls to separate each vanity • Touchless faucets • Touchless soap – battery or hardwired • Touchless paper towel dispensers (note: jet air-dry is an option, yet not preferred. Studies have found that air-dry appliances may spread aerosols that contaminate other surfaces.)

Operations Building owners and users will need to manage the number of people occupying the restroom simultaneously and encourage proper hygiene. Strategies could include: RESTROOM EXAMPLE 3

• Providing bathroom monitors or monitoring system to control the

• Elimination of high-pressure flush valves

number of people in the restrooms to avoid congregating in the

• Occupancy slide-type latches with extended post for easy

restroom

operation Note: individual toilet stall door solutions are still unresolved due to latching requirements. Integrating a catch mechanism is an option, but secure latches meeting ADA requirements are not touchless.

Urinals Urinal design can accommodate physical distancing and hygiene through: • Floor to ceiling urinal partitions, 3’ depth • Touchless flush

Vanities Vanities can be a pinch point and an area for congregating. To support physical distancing and hygiene at sinks, strategies may include:

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• Reminding users of physical distancing protocols within the restroom and while waiting to go into the restroom through signange or other means • Implementing hourly deep cleaning programs • Encouraging hand washing and providing/maintaining continuous supplies of soap and paper towels

Single-Occupancy Rooms For new construction or extensive renovations, clusters of singleoccupant toilet rooms could provide an alternative to gang restrooms. These rooms could include self-cleaning features such as automatic UV light or spray disinfection between uses; modular construction could potentially make these rooms more economical to install.