13 points to washroom safety.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, never more so than when designing a washroom for primary and secondary school students.

Virtually every accessory and piece of equipment placed in lavatories today is in some form safety related, notes Doug Wickstrom, vice president and architect/designer with Celina, Ohio-based Fanning/Howey Associates' Michigan City, Ind., office.

"Safety is one of a number of different aspects of design," he says. "It can be related to a

The best designs for washrooms generally keep everything as simple as possible, says Jim Tolan, a plumbing designer in Fanning/Howey Associates' Celina office. Washrooms today must be outfitted according to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), he notes, but many of the safety features mandated by the ADA also make good common sense for any school restroom.

A checklist of items to look for in safe washrooms today includes the following.

1. Flooring.

Slip resistance is imperative. The desired flooring should have a slip-resistance co-efficient of 0.8, at minimum. Look for basic ceramic mosaic tile, not prefinished or glazed. Drains should be placed in the floor so that water doesn't accumulate on the surface from an overflowing sink or a leaking toilet.

2. Lighting.

Lighting should be designed so that there are no dark corners, and there should be plenty of light in both hand-washing and partitioned toilet areas. The general role is to allow 20 footcandles per square foot. Also, a strobe light might be installed to alert building authorities to the space in the event of a fire.

3. Sprinklers.

Fire sprinkler systems today can be concealed as opposed to the pendant style. This reduces the opportunity for items such as toilet paper and clothing to dangle from them and possibly be set on fire by vandals.

4. Infra-red controlled wash basins and toilet-flushing.

Installing automatic water on/off devices saves water and helps eliminate overflow situations. The devices also decrease the number of times hands come in contact with possibly sharp edges of faucets and knobs.

5 Location of hand-washing basins and drinking fountains.

Placing wash basins and drinking fountains outside the toilet facilities provides more supervisory options, thus reducing opportunities for vandals to plug sinks.

6 Hand dryers.

Using automatic hand dryers eliminates paper towels and, therefore, reduces waste and the opportunity for vandals to set the trash bin on fire.

7. Enclosing or insulating hot water pipes and traps.

This is an ADA requirement so that occupants of wheelchairs do not get burned if they accidentally brush their legs against them.

8. Smoke detectors and heat detectors.

This basic fire safety equipment alerts building authorities in the event of a fire.

9. Rounded edges.

Equipment and accessories with rounded edges reduce the chance of physical harm from sharp edges. Also, stainless steel mirrors should be installed, rather than glass mirrors.

10. Door swings.

Be sure the doors aren't likely to entrap individuals, particularly the disabled.

11. Outer door.

Outer doors can be left off washroom entries for the sake of supervision only if the washroom is less than 20 feet deep. In the event of fire, a person feeling along the wall to get out may consider a doorless entry as an exit route. A room that isn't very deep allows the person time to retrace his or her steps and search elsewhere for an exit. If the washroom is more than 20 feet deep, a door is required because it is considered a dead-end corridor. In the event of a fire, a person passing through the door and discovering himself or herself in a washroom would immediately leave to find another exit.

12. Floor plan and size.

The overall layout and size of the washroom should be able to accommodate a high number of users through a logical, simple traffic pattern to eliminate confusion and possible accidents.

13. Partitions.

Using heavy-duty toilet partitions with rounded edges reduces risk of both injury and vandalism.

No matter the ultimate design of a washroom, Wickstrom points out that the room itself should be adequately supervised, accessible and inviting to all users. "In general, keeping the entire room as simple as possible remains the best strategy," he says. "The idea is to move people in and out as quickly, safely and efficiently as possible."

RELATED ARTICLE: Keys to Locker Room Safety

Just as washrooms have their own checklist of safety features, so too do locker rooms. Demand for locker rooms has never been higher as secondary schools try to accommodate both boys' and girls' athletic activities. For this reason, many schools are opting for locker room designs that can function as changing areas for both school physical education classes and after-school sports.

"These rooms are in continual use, and we've seen that schools want to limit access to different areas of the locker rooms," says Andy Mendelson, principal in charge of the education practice at OWP&P Architects, Chicago. "This is both for safety and security reasons."

For instance, the lockers themselves now come in a variety of door styles, allowing for greater ventilation and security. Perforated metal designs block scanning of locker contents, reducing the attraction to vandalize a locker for its contents. While the new designs increase air flow to the locker - a necessary aspect of athletic facility lockers - they also make it difficult for lit matches to be inserted into the locker, thus reducing the incentive to set a locker on fire, says Mendelson.

Other safety aspects of locker room design include the following.

1. Coaches, teachers and other adult supervisors should have a clear view of the entire area without having to walk throughout the room. There should not be alcoves or cubbyholes in which to hide.

2. Locker height should be between four and six feet, which helps with lighting patterns and creates unobstructed viewing.

3. Cross aisles should be clear of benches and other obstacles.

4. Door-locking devices should be on exit doors and swimming pool doors. This eliminates opportunities for doors to be propped, which creates unauthorized entry, and it keeps students out of unsupervised swimming pools.

5. Lighting should be bright and should feature impact-resistant, durable lenses.

6. Flooring should be slip resistant as well as easy to clean. An epoxy resin can be applied to increase slip resistance and enhance durability.

7. If carpeting is desired, look for durability. Also consider carpeting with antimicrobial agents embedded in the fibers to resist diseases.

8. Benches and other seating should have rounded corners and be securely fastened to floors and walls to resist breakage.

Physical education and extracurricular sports are as important to students' learning as reading, writing and arithmetic. Keeping them safe in the locker room helps them achieve all their educational goals.

- Laurie Freeman

Laurie Freeman is a freelance writer in Edina, Minn.