So, what is the total number of toilets you need for your school or workplace?
According to the regulations from New Zealand Building Code Clause G1 Personal Hygiene, ‘sanitary fixtures shall be provided in sufficient number and be appropriate for the people who are intended to use them.’
So, the total number of toilets required by the law depends on the purpose of the building and the number of people who are going to use them. Let’s dig deeper now and see the regulations for different intended toilet uses.
How Many Toilets Should a School Have?
How Many Toilets Should There Be in a Workplace?
How Many Toilets Are Required in a Commercial Building?
How Many Toilets Should a School Have?
New Zealand Government doesn’t set strict law regulations for the number of toilets required in schools, but a kind of guidelines for school washrooms:
- 1 toilet and washbasin for every 10 students under the age of 5 (pre-school),
- 1 toilet and washbasin per 20 students aged 5-11 (primary school),
- 1 toilet and washbasin per 20 students aged over 11 (secondary school).
However, according to health and safety legislative requirements for schools, students should be provided with toilets of 7sqm or larger near their classrooms, with the access to a wash-hand basin with a hot and cold water supply in schools where there are more than 61 students.
Image from: Flickr by Ironchefbalara
Here are the general requirements for the exact number of toilets according to the number of students:
Female | 1 – 10 | 1 wc |
|---|---|---|
| 11 – 50 | 2 | |
| 51 – 90 | 33 | |
| > 90 | Add 1 per 60 | |
Male | 1 – 10 | 1 wc |
| 11 – 50 | 2 | |
| 51 – 110 | 3 | |
| > 110 | Add 1 per 70 | |
Disabled facilities | 1 – 300 | 1 wc |
| > 300 | 2 |
And here’s the allowed ratio for male toilets combining urinals and WC pans, where every compartment must have a separate door:
| WC pans | Urinals | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 – 10 | 1 wc | 1 – 150 | 1 ur |
| 11 – 60 | 2 | 151 – 550 | 2 |
| 61 – 120 | 3 | > 500 | add 1 per 450 |
| > 120 | add 1 per 80 | ||
The following are general requirements for wash-hand basins stating that every unit must be provided with a supply of warm water, soap dispensers, toilet paper dispensers, as well as adequate hand-drying equipment.
The study, by researchers from Otago University and Public Health South, concluded that “a significant number of New Zealand children do not currently have access to high-quality hygiene facilities at school”.
(Source: schoolnews.co.nz)
Changing and shower areas are necessary only for secondary schools mainly where children attend PE classes.
For more detailed information on other school washroom requirements in New Zealand, check our School Washroom Guide.
How Many Toilets Should There Be in a Workplace?
According to the Guidelines for the Provision of Facilities and General Safety and Health in Commercial & Industrial Premises, every employer should provide enough male and female sanitary conveniences based on the number of employees. The minimum requirements are:
- 1 toilet per 15 or fewer employed females,
- 2 toilets for up to 20 employed females and 1 additional toilet for each additional 20 employees,
- 1 toilet per 20 or fewer males,
- 2 toilets for up to 30 employed males and 1 in addition for additional 30 male employees,
- 1 urinal for up to 15 males,
- 2 urinals for 15 to 30 males and plus 1 for each 30 male employers in addition.
Adequate conveniently accessible washing facilities, hot water supplies and other washroom hygiene necessities go without saying.
How many toilets do you need per employee? | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of female employees | Number of toilets | Number of male employees | Number of toilets | Number of urinals |
| 1-15 | 1 | 1-20 | 1 | 1 for 1-15 employers |
| 16-20 | 2 | 21-30 | 2 | 2 for 16-30 employers |
| 21-40 | 3 | 31-60 | 3 | 3 for 31-60 employers |
| 41-60 | 4 | 61-90 | 4 | 4 for 61-90 employers |
| 61-80 | 5 | 91-120 | 5 | 5 for 91-120 employers |
If there are no more than 15 employees in your company, separate washrooms for men and women are not mandatory. Providing your employees with access to one unisex washroom with a locking door would suffice in that case.
Image from: pixabay by myjanitorsHow Many Toilets Are Required in a Commercial Building?
A commercial building is any building with a business purpose such as amusement parks, shopping centres, libraries, transport terminals and other similar places. We’ve already addressed workplaces, but let’s see how many toilets other commercial buildings should have.
Generally speaking, the minimum requirement for washroom facilities is one toilet and one washbasin per 15 women and men in restaurants, nightclubs, coffee bars, tea rooms and the like.
The following requirements are in compliance with the New Zealand Building Code document:
How many female toilets do you need in a restaurant? | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of women | Number of necessary WC pans | Number of women | Number of necessary washbasins |
| 1 – 15 | 1 | 1 – 120 | 1 |
| 16 – 90 | 2 | 121 – 380 | 2 |
| 91 – 170 | 3 | >380 | Add 1 per 290 |
| >170 | Add 1 per 100 | – | – |
How many male toilets do you need in a restaurant? | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of men | Number of necessary WC pans | Number of men | Number of necessary urinals | Number of men | Number of necessary washbasins |
| 1 – 15 | 1 | 1 – 100 | 1 | 1 – 70 | 1 |
| 16 – 80 | 2 | 101 – 340 | 2 | 71 – 250 | 2 |
| >80 | Add 1 per 100 | 341 – 600 | 3 | >250 | Add 1 per 200 |
| – | – | >600 | Add 1 per 280 | – | – |
Here are the NZ requirements for sports venues such as swimming pools, gyms, sports stadiums and other places of active recreation.
How many female toilets do you need in sports venues? | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of women | Number of necessary WC pans | Number of women | Number of necessary washbasins |
| 1 – 10 | 1 | 1 – 70 | 1 |
| 11 – 60 | 2 | 71 – 230 | 2 |
| 61 – 120 | 3 | 231 – 400 | 3 |
| >120 | Add 1 per 70 | >400 | Add 1 per 170 |
How many male toilets do you need in sports venues? | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of men | Number of necessary WC pans | Number of men | Number of necessary urinals | Number of men | Number of necessary washbasins |
| 1 – 25 | 1 | 1 – 50 | 1 | 1 – 50 | 1 |
| 26 – 130 | 2 | 51 – 180 | 2 | 51 – 180 | 2 |
| 131 – 270 | 3 | 181 – 320 | 3 | >180 | Add 1 per 140 |
| >270 | Add 1 per 150 | >320 | Add 1 per 150 | – | – |
The recommendations for entertainment venues such as theatres, cinemas, concert halls and others are as follows in the table below.
How many female toilets do you need in entertainment venues? | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of women | Number of necessary WC pans | Number of women | Number of necessary washbasins |
| 1 – 10 | 1 | 1 – 80 | 1 |
| 11 – 50 | 2 | 81 – 250 | 2 |
| >50 | Add 1 per 60 | 251 – 430 | 3 |
| – | – | >430 | Add 1 per 200 |
How many male toilets do you need in entertainment venues? | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of men | Number of necessary WC pans | Number of men | Number of necessary urinals | Number of men | Number of necessary washbasins |
| 1 – 15 | 1 | 1 – 80 | 1 | 1 – 65 | 1 |
| 16 – 80 | 2 | 81 – 290 | 2 | 66 – 220 | 2 |
| >80 | Add 1 per 100 | >290 | Add 1 per 230 | >220 | Add 1 per 170 |
| – | – | – | – | – | – |
As far as shopping centres, amusement parks, libraries and transport terminals are concerned, here are the washroom basic requirements.
How many female toilets do you need in shopping centres? | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of women | Number of necessary WC pans | Number of women | Number of necessary washbasins |
| 1 – 50 | 1 | 1 – 350 | 1 |
| 51 – 240 | 2 | 351 – 1150 | 2 |
| 241 – 480 | 3 | >1150 | Add 1 per 850 |
| 481 – 750 | 4 | – | – |
| >750 | Add 1 per 250 | – | – |
How many male toilets do you need in shopping centres? | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of men | Number of necessary WC pans | Number of men | Number of necessary urinals | Number of men | Number of necessary washbasins |
| 1 – 15 | 1 | 1 – 80 | 1 | 1 – 65 | 1 |
| 16 – 80 | 2 | 81 – 290 | 2 | 66 – 220 | 2 |
| >80 | Add 1 per 100 | >290 | Add 1 per 230 | >220 | Add 1 per 170 |
| – | – | – | – | – | – |
The requirements for the number of WC pans, urinals and washbasins for people with disabilities differ. Check the full compliance document for more details.
Bear in mind that proper washroom hygiene says much more about your business than the number of facilities. Don’t let your neglected washroom spoil your business impression. Contact Alsco experts without hesitation should you need any help or advice.
Photo: Bushboard
