4 NEEDS FOR A QUALITY WASHROOM IN SCHOOLS
School has been a vital part of most people’s childhood. It is the place where kids learn, play and significantly grow in. For this growth and learning to happen unconditionally, the ambiance of the place is very crucial. Similarly, washrooms play a vital role in contributing to this environment. Having a clean and quality washroom is essential for the healthy psych of the child. Washrooms should be made accessible in many ways as much as possible and the location of the washrooms should be also kept in mind while designing. Students and faculty members should be ensured with proper hygienic, health and safety measures in washrooms.
Here are the four needs to help you figure out whether your school has a quality washroom.
Anthropometrics:
Designing washrooms according to the age groups will make the students more comfortable while using it. The ambiance of the washrooms should also be designed in accordance to the age group. The urinals for kids should not be more than 450 mm as there is no use of keeping a urinal at a height which a kid cannot reach. The height of adult urinals should be 600 mm. The width of the water closets should be between 850 mm-900 mm for primary level students and it should be 1100 mm for high school students. There should be a separate washroom which should be allocated only for differently able students in all schools. Designing the washrooms according to the age group separately will avoid unwanted difficulties like the height of the urinals for the students.
Numbers:
Schools should make sure that they have sufficient number of water closets, urinals and the wash basins according to the number of students using it. There should be separate washrooms provided for the faculty members, support staff and the visitors. As per the NBC norms for schools, there should be one water closet for forty boys, a urinal for twenty boys and one water closet for twenty girls. There should be washbasins for every ten water closets. Schools should make sure that they refurbish their washrooms according to the increasing number of student population in their schools.
Ventilation:
Washrooms should not be designed with poor ventilation facilities and poor lighting systems. This could create extra airborne moisture which can wreak havoc in washrooms. Bad odor is one of the most common problems experienced in most washrooms. Air ducts, ventilation fans and a path for natural light can be installed to take out the unpleasant atmosphere in washrooms. There should not be any dark spaces and corners which could possibly invite menacing insects like cockroaches and lizards in the future.
Safety:
Schools should provide students with clean and hygienic washrooms. All the fixtures that are being used, should be checked and maintained frequently. Starting from the wash basins to the water closet doors, safety should be one of main factors while designing the space. The floor of the space should preferably be anti-skid which will avoid slimy accidents. Washrooms which have a supply of soap, toilet rolls, paper towels and hand dryers will promote a clean and hygienic environment in schools. Washroom doors must have door hinge safety systems. Washrooms are all about balancing both the safety and the privacy of students. Washing the hands thoroughly after using the washrooms is the best way to avoid germs.
Using the toilet is unavoidable and essential to the survival and development of all children around the world, many diseases are caused mainly because of unclean and untidy washrooms. An unhygienic washroom could increase chances of infections and other problems such as headaches and loss of attention during classes. Schools should not treat washrooms in a lethargic manner. Architects, who are specialized in school designs know how your school washroom needs to be designed. We, at Verdant Vista, always give a special and required attention to the washrooms while designing your schools.