Toilet in a shop

[royaldocks]

Just renovating a small shop (Hairdressers) at the moment. The salon will be in the front and leads to a back room where I am thinking of putting in a toilet for staff and customer use, along with a couple of sinks for hairwashing.

The back room is is quite small 3.4m wide by 4m long, with what will be an open corridor down the centre. A couple of questions really..

1. Am planning on putting a combi-boiler in the toilet, above a small sink. Any reason I cannot do this? (I have a gas safe plumber to fit - but need to know for planning layout / first pipe fix etc).

2. Do I need to provide a disabled toilet (Part M Regs, diagram 18, 1500min width).

3. Can the door open onto the corridor of the room.

View media item 41448

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

It doesn't have to be Part M compliant, you should open the door outwards if at all possible, if anyone ever collapsed inside against the door you would not be able to gain access easily. A baby change on the back of the door would be a boon for mums.

 

[royaldocks]

thanks... I thought maybe you couldn't open the door out onto the corridor as this would be the route to the main door from the basement though?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Its not ideal but its not like you're going to have masses of people escaping.

 

[OwainDIYer]

Building Regs may not require a Part M compliant toilet in this case, but the business has to consider the requirements of the DDA (I think it's been absorbed into the Equality Act) so it would be prudent to make the loo as accessible as reasonably possible, seeing as the work is being done now anyway.

A bifold door would take up less swing space in either the loo or corridor.