What Washroom Dispensers Does Your Business Need?

Do your washroom cubicles each have a coat hook? This is just one of the requirements outlined in the Health and Safety Executive approved Code of Practice and guidance for Workplace health, safety and welfare. The other requirements may be more in line with your expectations such as toilet provisions for male and female, separate whenever possible or lockable as a minimum. And a means of washing hands and drying hands.
The guidance does also interestingly state that toilet paper should be provided in a holder or dispenser. How many washrooms do we encounter that have rolls simply placed on the cistern or sanitary bin?!

Required Washroom Facilities

The minimum washroom requirements are:
• Must be conveniently located
• Each toilet housed in a separate cubicle with a door that can be secured from the inside
• Be available at all times expected
• Provide protection from the weather
• Be connected to suitable drainage system and have means for flushing with water
• Have toilet paper provided in a holder or dispenser
• Coat hook
• Means for the disposal of sanitary products in female toilets.
• Washbasins with hot and cold water, that are large enough to wash face, hands and forearms where needed.
• Provide a means to dry hands
• Any windows should be opaque
When written down in this manner they seem simple and basic requirements yet, how many times do we encounter cubicles without a lock, no toilet paper and lacking any soap?

So, the essential washroom equipment is toilet roll holders, soap dispensers and means to dry hands whether this is by paper towel or electric hand dryer.

Stainless Steel Washroom Dispensers

Soap Dispensers

The provision of soap can be as simple as a bar of soap, although there is much discussion on how hygienic this solution is, with neither side being conclusive. A wall mounted soap dispenser reduces the potential for individual bottles being ‘borrowed’ and the dosing mechanisms deliver just the right amount of soap without wastage. A bulk fill dispenser cuts down the refill packaging, often with the container of bulk soap being recyclable.
Carefully chosen soap dispensers can enhance a washroom’s aesthetic supporting the chosen décor and help to present hygienic and thoughtful washroom facilities.
Choosing a dispenser that is easily refilled reduces the time required by the cleaning team whilst selecting the best size of dispenser for the expected number of visitors also helps to reduce the amount of times it needs refilling.
There are many soap formulations to choose from including hypo-allergenic and anti-bacterial. Foam soap continues to prove a popular innovation as it provides a luxurious hand washing experience whilst being economical.
One question often asked is how many commercial soap dispensers are needed? We would always advise one dispenser per two basins up to a maximum of one per three basins.
Providing soap for hand washing is an essential requirement but the positive effects of doing so are vast. Encouraging effective hand hygiene is a great way to look after and help keep your team to stay healthy and reduce the spread of potentially harmful bacteria.

Hand Drying Solutions

There is a wide choice of hand drying options available ranging from a simple cotton towel through to the very latest technology deployed in hand dryers.  The main thing is to provide at least one effective hand drying solution in your washrooms whether it be a roller towel, paper towel dispensers or hand dryers.
Choosing the right hand drying method for you and your premises depends on various elements, for example:
Footfall; how many people are using your washroom at any given time? If for example you have a sudden fluctuation in use; a paper towel might be best as users can dry their hands simultaneously and not have to wait for a dryer or roller towel.
Environment; hand dryers whilst being energy efficient and often cheaper to run are inevitably noisy. If this poses an issue for your specific location an alternative solution might be best. If noise is not an issue, then hand dryers can provide a quick and efficient means of hand drying without any waste.
Facilities; do you have the facilities to provide the necessary electrical connection for a hand dryer? Do you have the staff to refill paper towel dispensers and empty waste bins? These are questions you have to consider before deciding on the most effective hand drying solution for your washroom.
Again, as with a soap dispenser, choosing the right hand drying option can enhance your washroom’s décor as well as providing a caring and considerate washroom environment for users.

Toilet Roll Dispensers

Often selecting a particular cubicle is based on the basic cleanliness, which is quickly followed by a check on the toilet paper level.
The HSE guidelines recommend both a holder and toilet paper dispensers. This supports basic hygiene as a roll placed on the cistern or sanitary unit can quickly become cross-contaminated with other surface bacteria.
There is a wide choice of paper available from the usual domestic type rolls, to cored rolls, flat sheet and jumbo rolls with a range of quality available across all types. Choosing the right dispenser for you will depend on the number of washroom users, the space available in the cubicle and other factors.
When choosing toilet paper dispensers look for ones that have clear visibility for the fill level, so that your teams know when to refill the dispenser. If there is a possibility that tissue will be pilfered, choose dispensers with a secure lock. Selecting the right dispenser can enhance the look of your washroom, making it a positive experience for your users and reducing the time required by your cleaning teams to maintain a well presented washroom environment.

Choosing the right Commercial Washroom Dispensers

Whilst the washroom is often the smallest room in a building never underestimate the influence it can have on people’s perceptions of your business. They can be both positive and negative. We all judge a company, restaurant, cinema, hospital etc. on the cleanliness of the washroom whether we realise it at the time or not.
Whilst we have covered the essential requirements in this article these are just the starting blocks for providing a pleasant and hygienic washroom environment. However, a soap dispenser, toilet roll holder or paper towel dispenser do not just have to be generic items on the wall. They can be used to enhance the décor of your washrooms and help make the first impression a good one.
Choosing dispensers that are large enough to cope with your demand, easy to refill, secure, robust and operated with a single key will leave both your visitors and cleaning teams happy.
At Dudley Industries we have been making washroom dispensers since 1942 and we’ve learnt a lot along the way. We are proud of our different dispenser ranges, which are all designed and manufactured in the UK at our facilities in Lancashire.
We believe our metal dispensers are stylish whilst being robust and secure. We are so confident in the quality of them that we provide a 10 year guarantee.

Contact Dudley Industries

If you would like to find out more about Dudley Industries’ commercial washroom dispensers and how we can help your business, then please contact a member of our expert contact a member of our team.