Do not slip up when designing for Bathroom Safety
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Bathroom safety is very important when you are designing or renovating your bathroom because it is a good opportunity to implement thing to improve your bathroom safety. Bathroom’s are a common place where injuries occur, Most injuries are caused by slips, trips and falls, and the risk of this happening increases quite a bit if the floor is wet and slippery – as is often the case in the bathroom.
So how can you make your bathroom safer? Here are some things you can do that will help you reduce the risk of injury in your bathroom
Water lying on the floor is your biggest enemy when it comes to bathroom safety. This is because water reduces grip, and increases the risk of slipping over, especially if you have bare feet because bare skin can be very slippery – especially when wet.
Having a bathroom floor that slopes towards a central drain point, so water isn’t able to pool can help. This is common when the floor is tiled, just make sure there are no ‘lips’ or differences in level between tiles on the floor, which can increase the risk of tripping.
You can further reduce the chance of slipping by putting a non-slip finish to the floor. You will find many products at most hardware stores that achieve this. Also make sure tile floors do not have raised or uneven tiles. This creates a tripping hazard.
Bathrooms are often small and cramped. The trouble with this is that if you slip or fall, there’s little or no space to avoid hitting vanities, baths, toilet bowls etc on the way down. Just in case the unexpected happens, allow plenty of space around bathroom fixtures and furniture.
Fixtures and furniture that have rounded edges instead of sharp ones can help reduce the severity of contact injuries
Most people will need to stretch to open any windows that are over a bath, often having to go onto tip toes or one leg in the process. This makes it easy to topple over, especially if there’s any moisture on the floor. This makes it highly dangerous because of the combination of knocking themselves out and there possibly being water in the bath.
It is best for safety to get a shower tray that has low threshold to step over to enter the shower, which reduces your risk of tripping.
Even better is a European level entry shower. This is because theses have no threshold to step over to enter the shower, they are also are usually larger, which means they offer more room if you need to help someone out in an emergency. Just make sure they’re effectively waterproofed, water can easily escape from this type of shower onto the floor area.
Installing a shelf in the shower will keep things like shampoo and soap that can get in the way and became a slip hazard. Instead put a non-slip mat are in the shower (and bath) too – especially if older people or young children will be using your bathroom.
Wet towels lying on the bathroom floor can be a trip hazard as well as putting water on the floor. Making sure you place towel rails close to the bath, shower and hand basin so people to not have to walk far if at all , this will help keep drips of water from the floor as well as rushing across the bathroom to get a towel because they have just got out of a hot water and are now cold.
Grab rails are a very good idea over the bath, in the shower and by the toilet, especially if older people or very young children visit or live in your house. The extra support that grab rails offer when you are standing up or sitting down can mean the difference between slipping over or staying on your feet, especially if the floor is wet.
Just make sure that the wall behind them is strong enough because if someone does start to fall it must support their weight.
Most of these tips for keeping safe in the bathroom are common sense. Yet it’s often the common sense solutions that are easiest to overlook. simply things like mopping the floor as soon as water is spilled on the floor.
By making a conscious decision to bathroom safety, you can relax in a hot shower or have a long soak in the bath, without it ending in a trip to the doctor or hospital
Keeping the bathroom safe
Install plenty of towel and grab rails
Choosing a shower for safety
Carefully Position windows
Big is better
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