When designing a commercial washroom there’s a lot to consider. One often overlooked but crucial component of your washroom design is the number of hand dryers you need, and their location.
The starting point for every element of commercial washroom design is the average number of visitors you estimate will use the washroom. This figure will determine most of the fixtures and fittings in your washroom, and govern traffic flow, queues, and movement around the room. It is also the key element in determining how many hand dryers your business needs to fit in your washrooms.
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Is it a legal requirement to provide hand dryers?
There is no hard and fast rule on how many hand dryers your washroom legally needs to have except that there needs to be a sufficient amount to accommodate the number of expected users. After all, wet hands spread germs faster than dry hands so providing hand dryers is essential for optimum washroom hygiene. There is however legislation governing how many toilets and wash basins you must have dependent on the number of people at your place of business. This is a good starting point to help determine the number of hand dryers your business may need.
How to calculate how many hand dryers your business should have
To calculate how many hand dryers your business needs, think about the footfall through the washroom on a daily basis and the ebb and flow of traffic through it. When using the information below it is useful to understand that the average employee uses a washroom on average just over four times in a working day.
Regulation 20 of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 states:
Number of toilets and washbasins for mixed use or women only:
(The number of people at work shown in column 1 refers to the maximum number likely to be in the workplace at any one time)
| Number of people at work | Number of toilets | Number of washbasins |
|
1-5 |
1 |
1 |
|
6-25 |
2 |
2 |
|
26-50 |
3 |
3 |
|
51-75 |
4 |
4 |
|
76-100 |
5 |
5 |
Toilets only used by men:
| Number of people at work | Number of toilets | Number of urinals |
|
1-15 |
1 |
1 |
|
16-30 |
2 |
1 |
|
31-45 |
2 |
2 |
|
46-60 |
3 |
2 |
|
61-75 |
3 |
3 |
|
76-90 |
4 |
3 |
|
91-100 |
4 |
4 |
Low traffic washrooms – Washrooms seeing under 100 uses per day
If your washroom is relatively quiet, you may wish to install one hand dryer to every four basins, or one high speed dryer to every five or six basins.
Medium traffic washrooms – Washrooms seeing 100-300 uses per day
Medium use washrooms are likely to require a higher number of dryers, using one dryer to every two basins, or one high speed unit to every three or four basins.
High traffic washrooms – Washrooms seeing over 300 uses per day
High use washrooms and ultra-high use washrooms such as those found in shopping centres and event facilities will usually require one hand dryer per basin, or one high speed dryer to every two basins.
Key considerations when choosing hand dryers for your washroom
Speed
The number of hand dryers you need is affected by how long they take to dry hands. Faster hand drying units save time and may mean you can reduce the number of units required without impacting the user experience.
Do they fit?
The number of hand dryers you need will largely be determined by the footfall in that washroom, though of course there are other practical considerations such as whether you can fit that number of hand dryers in your washroom, and if not, what can be done about it such as installing space saving hand dryers.
Energy Usage
With energy prices increasing at an alarming rate, choosing low energy hand dryers could mean a significant annual saving on your commercial energy bills.
Noise Levels
The amount of noise produced by commercial hand dryers varies in the extreme. Whilst this is not a major consideration for every business, there are many circumstances where washrooms require low noise level and Quiet Mark approved hand dryers due to the nature of the business or location of the washroom.
Eco-Friendliness
Many companies have pledged to do more to decrease their impact on the environment. Eco-friendly hand dryers provide a great opportunity to reduce energy usage and environmental damage.
Shift Workers
If you have workers clocking breaks at specific times, you may wish to consider increasing the number of hand dryers in your washroom as these facilities will experience short bursts of high traffic. A lack of hand drying facilities in high traffic periods can lead to frustration, delays, and decreased hand hygiene in the workforce which can ultimately lead to increased illness and reduced efficiency.
Could new hand dryers save your business money?
See how much you could save by switching to Pebble Hand Dryers in your washroom
Types of hand dryers
The best hand dryer for your business depends on the space available, and your specific requirements. When choosing the type of hand dryer you want to install, ensure you view a wide range of styles and types to make an informed decision.
Hands under dryers – Traditional style options such as the Dyson Airblade V hand dryer where hands are placed underneath the unit for drying
Hands-in dryers – Modern, fast drying design where hands are placed inside the dryer
Push button dryers – Manually activated design where hand drying starts when a button is pushed
Automatic dryers – Dryer starts automatically when hands are placed under/inside it
Surface mounted – Dryer is mounted directly to the washroom wall and protrudes into the room
Recessed dryers – A recess in the wall is created so the dryer is flush and does not stick out into the room
Choose the best hand dryers for your business
We hope the above information has given you everything you need to decide how many hand dryers you need in your commercial washroom. Should you require more information or wish to find out more about commercial hand dryers, read our Hand Dryer Buying Guide.
Hand dryers from Citron Hygiene with full installation and servicing
Citron Hygiene offers a full range of commercial hand dryers with full installation included as part of the service, contact us today to get a quote for your commercial washroom.
