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FEATURE
Facilities for persons with disabilities
By
Rory Macnamara
Is it a legal requirement to have toilet and wash facilities for disabled people ?
© Plumbing Africa | Rory Macnamara © Plumbing Africa | Rory Macnamara
Regarding the number of toilet facilities for disabled people , the law also requires that there be toilets and washing facilities that meet their needs . This is covered by the Equality Act 2010 . Employers have a duty to accommodate disabled employees by providing appropriate facilities for their needs .
SANS 10400 : S Facilities for persons with disabilities of the National Building Regulations , caters for the toilet and washing facilities in a clear and concise manner providing all the necessary dimensions as well as such facilities in residential , commercial , and industrial buildings .
Basin and Taps .
A typical installed toilet with grab rails .
Whilst the water and waste reticulation systems are the same as for any building , the designer and plumber needs to bear in mind that there are other parts of 10400 that need to be considered and the primary one being Part P Drainage of the same standard wherein the occupancy class lists the number of toilets required in each building .
The standard caters for those in wheelchairs as well as ambulant persons with disabilities i . e ., persons with a mobility disability but able to walk .
Such provisions include location , height and outlets of fixtures , circulation space around fixtures , space under the front of basins , lever handles for taps and grab rails . The minimal spatial requirements are specific and there should be no deviations from them .
Before installation it is recommended that the plumber familiarise themselves with the positioning requirements . A slip up in such a facility would result in an expensive rebuild for the plumber !
We extract certain parts of the standard to emphasise the critical considerations that may impact on the plumber and certainly must be considered by the designer ,
Section 4.12.2 In a wheelchair accessible toilet :
• The distance from the front edge of the toilet to the rear wall of such compartment shall not be less than 690mm . the top surface of the toilet seat shall not be less than 480mm and not more than 500mm above floor level . Should the toilet be provided with a special back rest the lid and seat , when raised to the upright position shall remain in that position .
• Point G in this section must be noted – sanitary fixtures and fittings i . e ., soap dispenser , hand drier , mirror , coat hooks and toilet paper holder shall be easily accessible to any person in a wheelchair .
• Hand operated metering taps shall remain open for a minimum of 10 seconds .
• The toilet flushing handle must be on the outside , on top of or behind the toilet and must be easy to use .
• Regarding the wash basin this must be mounted without legs or pedestal and the height from floor to top edge must not be more than 820mm and the vertical clearance of 650mm from under the basin to the floor .
• Water supply to the basin must be way of a single lever mixer unit with a lever at least 100mm long within reach of a person sitting on the toilet .
www . plumbingafrica . co . za @ plumbingonline @ plumbingonline @ PlumbingAfricaOnline April 2022 Volume 28 I Number 2