Hello
I remember your pictures from your last thread. I hope you are feeling better and thank you for taking time to complain about the toilets.
I am currently trying to edit a (too long) report to the HSE about why toilets need door gaps. I have lots of examples of deaths in non domestic toilets that may have been prevented. These include hospital toilets with private designs. In my previous discussions with them they have stated (for document T) that only single sex cubicles within a single sex environment can have gaps below and above the doors. So none of these examples above could unless the sink area or corridor was made single sex.
There are two design features that you need in order to save someone having a medical emergency in a toilet. Firstly you need know they are having a medical emergency and secondly you need to be able to access them. Currently the regulations only stipulate the second. Unfortunately this may mean it is a retrieval hours or sometimes days later. For safeguarding vulnerable people, the simple, cheapest, most effective way is for a floor to door gap.
It is well understood that people collapse in toilets and it is written into regulations to ensure that people are able to access and use buildings and their facilities safely, for example Document M and T in England. England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland building regulations all contain sections on being able to rescue a person that has collapsed in a non-domestic toilet enclosure. For example in Document T for England (2024), the door to a toilet cubicle, a toilet room or a universal toilet should meet the following:
2.4c. Be capable of being opened from the outside if a person has collapsed against it while inside the toilet room or cubicle.
2.4d. If the door is inward opening, have an emergency release mechanism so that the door is capable of being opened outward, from the outside, in case of emergency, such as when a person has collapsed while inside the toilet room or cubicle.
2.4g. Adequately resist the passage of sound in toilet rooms.
As can be seen in some of the examples of recent deaths in toilets, there was a delay in retrieving occupants because 2.4c and 2.4d were not in place. If the toilet is in a room, such as is required in a universal design, 2.4g hinders safety if the occupant is making noises that will alert others that urgent access is required.
On the photograph, you will see the two cubicles with the handle are outwards opening. These look like they are set up as ambulant toilets. They will have handrails etc in them for frailer people. These need to be equally distributed between male and female. The second door in, when open, will impede the end occupants exit which is also not good. The other doors look like they only open inwards so if someone collapses on the toilet, they’ll collapse on the door. It can cause problems for the fire brigade as they don’t know where to cut.
There are so many reasons those toilets are not to standard. In the guidance section in document T is ‘The layout when entering, exiting and using a toilet room or cubicle should cater for the safety, privacy and dignity of users. Cubicle doors should only open into single-sex toilet accommodation.’
I have lots more information regarding ventilation, cleaning, hygiene, sexual assaults and why having a door gap is better for all the above. For instance 11% of cardiac arrests happen whilst on the toilet. I know that there are 100s of drug related deaths in toilet provision, including hospitals.
I can give you some more information, depending on what you need. What I can’t do is give you advice on how to proceed.