Hygiene Room requirements – What products do you need?

If you’re planning a hygiene room for your school or college, it’s easy to focus on the space and the structure, the surveys and planning permission, and the contractors who make it happen.

But the equipment you choose is just as important — and it comes with its own red tape and regulations.

So, what kind of products are truly essential?

Here are the requirements you need to know:

A compliant hygiene room needs: 

1. A ceiling tracked patient hoist
2. A changing bench
3. An accessible shower
4. An accessible toilet
5. The right waste storage

1. A ceiling track hoist

This is one of the biggest differences between an ‘accessible toilet’ and a ‘hygiene room’ — and it could be one of the more involved installations you have to make.

Because a hoist system supports the full weight of a user, it needs to be installed securely into the structure of the room.

That usually means you need a thorough assessment of the space you’re installing into — and you might need to make some changes to the structure behind the walls and ceiling.

But before you commit to a hygiene room hoist, you need to be aware of the government’s changes to the requirements:

The original BB103 guidance for mainstream schools recommends a ‘fixed or mobile hoist’ for specialist hygiene rooms.

But in their 2022 Technical Annex, mobile hoists are no longer acceptable. A ceiling tracked hoist is the only acceptable option now

So, if you’ve been planning a hygiene room with your sights set on a mobile hoist, you may need to rethink your options.

2. A changing bench

Every specialist hygiene room needs a place where assistants can help to change a pupil.

Depending on the type of venue you have, there may be different requirements so ask the care assistants what their requirements are.

For larger hygiene rooms — such as those in secondary schools — you’ll need a height-adjustable shower trolley

This bed will likely be used with a shower, so it needs to be designed for that. Height adjustment helps the care assistants protect their backs whilst working with the patient, whilst having a mobile trolley (as opposed to a wall-fixed model) is much preferred for good manual handling practice.

4. An accessible toilet

If you’re converting an everyday toilet area into an accessible hygiene room, you might be tempted to keep the existing toilets in place.

But to stay compliant, you’ll need an accessible WC for your hygiene room — and that often means an entirely new toilet with the mobility features your students will need.

As well as an accessible WC pan (in place of a standard toilet pan), you’ll need the right handrails and an emergency cord — and an accessible wash basin to go with it.

A hygiene room toilet needs:

• An accessible toilet pan
• An alarm pull cord (and reset button)
• Horizontal and vertical grab rails
• A height-adjustable wash basin (for larger hygiene rooms)

Need some help ticking all the boxes?

Designing a new hygiene room is never that easy.

With so many requirements around the equipment you buy, it can be tough to stay compliant while still staying under budget.

So if you’re looking for a shortcut to give you everything you need, our specialist teams are ready to help.

We work directly with architects and venues to design the best possible spaces for people who need extra access — from Changing Places and private residences to the modern hygiene rooms that schools and venues need.

Take a look at our full range of Bathing and Hygiene products — or start a chat with one of our experts to find exactly what you need for your venue.