Do you have any idea about the amount of time that your workers spend in the washroom? It’s something that you might not be concerned about but when you learn how much time they actually use up while there you might change your mind.

A global study revealed that workers spend, on average, 41 hours each year in the bathroom. That’s like a week’s worth of work.

A place where people spend that much time is bound to have an influence on them. That’s the reason why Steve Jobs decided that there should only be two bathrooms in the whole Pixar facility. Jobs knew that bathrooms have the potential of bringing people together so they can exchange ideas.

You don’t have to do something as drastic as that, but there are plenty of other bathroom design ideas that you can use.

Designing the Workplace Washroom

Washroom design should be a serious business since it can have a significant influence on workers. Functionality should be a main consideration, but it’s not the only thing to keep in mind.

Here are some of the top qualities that should be considered when designing a workplace washroom:

1. Using Modern Devices for Better Hygiene

Some workers are very health conscious and they can become frustrated when something gets in the way of their good hygiene practices. One common example is when they have to touch surfaces that are handled by those who are not as a health conscious as they are.

You can avoid upsetting your hygiene conscious workers and also help fight the spread of germs by using touchless devices in the washroom.

Some of these touchless accessories that you can use for your workplace washroom include:

2. Good Lighting

Lighting in a bathroom is not just about making sure that the room isn’t dark. If that’s all it takes then all you have to do is to keep the room as bright as possible. But lighting can do a lot more.

The right lighting can help reduce stress. Don’t use lights that are too bright. Dim lights can actually help to relax a person.

3. Keep it Circulating

You have to keep the air inside the washroom fresh and circulating. No one would be pleased to use and stay inside a washroom that stinks. They would try to avoid going there as long as they can.

Good ventilators should be installed in your workplace washroom that would circulate the air inside. Aside from ventilators, you also have to use good quality air fresheners.

You also have to be careful with the placement of the ventilators on the ceiling. Do not place the ventilator right above a stall. That can lead to some embarrassing scenarios for the users.

4. Music? Why Not?

Few people would disagree that music can help when it comes to relaxation. There are certain types of music that are just plain relaxing to those who listen.

Why not stream in some relaxing music to your workplace washroom?

Since some workers go there in order to unwind, the music could help. You can use the kind of music that they use in spas for example. That is sure to make your washroom a more relaxing place or why not some nature sounds like that of flowing water? OR, you can also use some good music to energise your employees and keep them productive when they go back to their workstations. It’s a matter of setting the mood of your employees, and music can help.

5. The Right Kind of Stalls

Have you used a washroom where you cannot figure out if the stall is occupied or not? That was an annoying experience wasn’t it?

Make sure that you get stall doors that can tell users right away if it’s occupied or not.

6. The Doors

A typical door has to be handled by the knob in order to be opened. Can you see why that would be a problem in a washroom?

Unfortunately, not all those who use the washroom wash their hands afterwards and if they have to open the door they could be spreading germs that way.

The washroom doors should be designed in such a way that users would not have to touch and turn a knob when they are going out. You should use doors that swing outward without any knobs.

You also have the option of dropping the use of doors altogether. You can avoid exposing the interior of the washroom by having a labyrinth entrance.

7. Give Them Some Hot Water

Workers would be thrilled with the availability of hot water in the washroom. That should be available at all times.

If you are worried about the energy that would be wasted by having hot water available all the time, there are some environmentally friendly options for that now.

8. Toilet Seats

Some workers get frustrated and stressed when they use the washroom and they find the toilet seats are dirty because of the people who used it before them. That sort of problem can be resolved by using seats that are kept upright so they don’t get soiled easily and by using toilet seat sanitisers.

9. Shelves and Hooks

Shelves inside the washroom can help workers who need some kind of temporary storage for their stuff.

Placing hooks inside the washroom stalls where users can hang their bags and coats will also be appreciated.

In the end you can boost the overall experience that your workers can get from using the workplace washroom when you get a managed washroom service from Alsco.

Keep your workplace fresh, clean and hygienic. Get Alsco’s fully managed washroom hygiene systems now. For more details, send us an enquiry.

 

Image Courtesy: Pixabay