Germ Wars
Feb 1, 2009 12:00 PM, By Kris Alderson
Lessons in handwashing begin with smart washroom planning.
Restroom areas should be warm and attractive, as well as clean and convenient.
It's estimated that at least 22 million school days are lost every year because of colds caught by students and faculty, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). There's still no cure for the common cold, but there is a time-honored way to prevent it, the agency says: handwashing, ideally with good old soap and water. It's still the best solution.
"Keeping your hands clean is one of the best ways to keep from getting sick and spreading illnesses," advises the CDC's Ounce of Prevention initiative. "If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol wipe or hand gel."
Having clean hands also is one of the most effective ways to prevent gastrointestinal illnesses, which account for absences by students and teachers. In fact, handwashing also is promoted as the best way to prevent MRSA, one of the antibiotic-resistant "super bugs." That hard-to-treat infection once was limited to hospitals and nursing homes, but now it has become a public health problem, with outbreaks especially found in schools, and among amateur and professional athletes. It starts as a skin infection, resembling a spider bite, but it can progress to the bloodstream or heart, and can cause pneumonia or death.
Despite what research and common sense say about keeping hands clean, many other surveys show that students and adults are notoriously lax about hand hygiene, even after using the toilet. Add to that the countless surfaces and objects students and teachers touch in the course of a day, and you've got a beaker of germs ready to ripen.
How can schools and universities help encourage handwashing? They can select washroom locations strategically; incorporate attractive and inviting designs; and install easy-to-use, hands-free, vandalism-resistant fixtures.
Planning considerations
To encourage more students and faculty to use and respect school restrooms, it is critical to make these areas warm and attractive, as well as clean and convenient. Strategic design, consistent maintenance and touch-free fixtures should be considered in a school's plan.
Restrooms should be attractive — bright, well-lighted, safe, clean and consistently stocked with toilet tissue, soap, hand sanitizers and other necessary supplies. A survey conducted by papermaker Kimberly-Clark found that some school restrooms are so uninviting and even repellent that one out of five students refuses to use them. Another study found that more than two out of five middle school and high school students avoid using bathrooms.
Just as run-down neighborhoods can encourage crime and graffiti, neglected buildings and rooms invite vandalism and bad behavior. A poorly maintained washroom or locker room may harbor bacteria and germs that can cause illness.
Another CDC report noted that after using a public restroom, a person's hand may have as many as 200 million bacteria. In restrooms, germs congregate in damp areas and on door handles. That's one reason hands-free, sensor-activated faucets, fixtures and other accessories have come into widespread use in public facilities. Another reason: They conserve water and help reduce utility costs.
Conventional faucet handles in older public washrooms also house germs, so touching the handle, even after washing, recontaminates just-cleaned hands. The problem multiplies when students use manual cloth or paper-towel dispensers, or even air blowers that require a button to be pressed. When all those steps are combined, there go most of the hygienic benefits of handwashing.
Restroom design ideas
An inviting restroom can encourage students to follow the rules. Some design considerations:
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Incorporate architectural elements
Many facilities designers make restrooms more appealing by using warm colors and textures instead of institutional white. This includes lavatories, toilet partitions and accessories that can be ordered in coordinating colors. Choose durable, solid-surface lavatory systems in colors that coordinate with walls, tiles and other accessories in the restroom.
Contemporary school restrooms can incorporate architectural elements — sleek, sweeping lines; curved sinks; and rounded shapes vs. traditional square ones. In addition, lighting plays an important role in creating a welcoming space, so keep lighting in the warm temperature range, and stay on the softer side.
- Durability, low maintenance
Aesthetically pleasing restrooms also can be durable and low-maintenance, and provide greater resistance against vandalism. Solid plastic restroom partitions and solid-surface material used in lavatory systems resist graffiti and scratching; stainless steel also is durable. Both surfaces can be wiped clean easily.
- Germ-resistant, solid-surface material
Lavatories made from smooth, non-porous solid-surface material help guard against the growth of mold or bacteria. An integrated bowl design also eliminates crevices for microbes to hide and further helps prevent the spread of germs.
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