‘Model’ public toilet launched to encourage better hygiene, improve safety for the elderly

SINGAPORE – A new “model” public toilet was launched near a coffee shop in Bukit Panjang on Monday (Jan 20) with two aims: To encourage better hygiene standards, and to improve toilet safety for the elderly.

Equipped with features such as stainless steel grab bars and tiles that prevent mould, its launch kickstarted the Clean Toilets @ North West initiative by the North West Community Development Council (CDC).

Speaking at the launch of the model public toilet near a coffee shop at Block 259 in Bangkit Road on Monday, Mayor of North West District Teo Ho Pin said that the initiative aims to make public toilets easier to clean and safer for the elderly to use.

“Clean Toilets @ North West was conceptualised to target two main problems – public hygiene and an ageing population,” he said.

The proportion of Singaporeans aged 65 years old and above increased from 8.8 per cent in 2009 to 14.4 per cent in 2019.

Dr Teo said that the initiative will help ensure that all public toilets in the community are safe for the elderly to use.

Public toilets have long been a source of dissatisfaction among some users, who see some of them as grimy and unpleasant.

A survey done by Ngee Ann Polytechnic students with the Restroom Association (Singapore) in 2011 found that of 500 respondents, more than half of them were “very unhappy” or “unhappy” with the condition of public toilets in coffee shops and hawker centres.

Common complaints by respondents include dirty toilet cubicles, damaged locks and foul smells due to poor ventilation.

The “model” toilet was designed based on guidelines developed by the North West CDC with partners such as the National Environment Agency and the Singapore Kindness Movement.

North West District Mayor Dr Teo Ho Pin (with his hand on the tap), Mr Gerard Heng, BIM Manager of Sunray Woodcraft Construction and Ms Michelle Tay, associate general secretary at the Singapore Kindness Movement at the new model public toilet. Photo: Jun Yuan Yong/TODAY

Four other coffee shop toilets in the North West district are currently being renovated, with renovation costs ranging from $20,000 to $40,000. The North West CDC's partners bore half the cost for the first model toilet.

Dr Teo hopes that other coffee shops in the district will follow suit by revamping their toilets based on the proposed guidelines.

GUIDELINES FOR THE MODEL TOILET

The guidelines were based on three outcomes for the toilets: Design, maintenance and usage.

The toilets should be designed to make them easier to clean and elderly-friendly.

In the guidelines, it was suggested that stainless steel grating on the floor should be used to prevent flooding and wall tiles should be coated with anti-fungal grout coat to prevent mould.

To prevent the elderly from slipping, toilets should have slip-resistant floor tiles, stainless steel grab bars and fans to help keep the floor dry.

For proper maintenance of the toilets, a proposed cleaning schedule was included in the guidelines which suggests that the toilets should be cleaned five times a day, and that this should be done during non-peak hours.

Cleaners are also encouraged to take up courses on proper toilet cleaning procedures and the use of cleaning equipment.

North West CDC has also came up with posters to remind users about proper toilet etiquette that will be displayed in public toilets. Other aspects of the guidelines include:

• Design outcomes – design concept is functional and robust, easy to clean and maintain, and safe for the elderly

• Maintenance outcomes – toilets are clean and kept dry, fittings are kept functional and toilet supplies are available at all times

• Usage outcomes – users take good care of toilets, are considerate towards cleaners and other users, and are socially-conscious by reporting defects and providing feedback promptly