What does washroom design say about a business?
Trudi Osborne, Marketing Manager of Airdri Ltd, reviews the equipment needs for different washroom environments
Washroom systems must be tailored to suit their particular environment, as requirements can vary enormously. Durable equipment is required in locations such as schools, hospitals, service stations, large offices and industrial settings which all need to stand up to a significant amount of traffic. A luxury health spa or restaurant should combine effective products with a stylish design that reflects its surroundings.
Other wider aspects also need to be considered. Is noise reduction a consideration? Does the organisation need to save money through longevity of products, but also maintain standards? Perhaps the focus is to ‘go green’, introducing environmentally friendly products which also reduce waste? These goals can be achieved through careful consideration when purchasing washroom equipment.
Some of the considerations for different settings are examined below, as well as the factors that organisations may need to review when comparing different products.
Stylish settings
Prestigious offices can benefit from the contemporary look of Airdri’s Elite hand dryer, which is the perfect choice to compliment any contemporary, modern office design. The Elite dryer is also the solution when space is limited. The wall mounted dryer is not recessed yet sits only four inches proud of the wall. Not only is its design unobtrusive, but at only 71 dBA, (A weighted decibels) it is also a remarkably quiet dryer.
Premises which have a peaceful ambience such as a relaxed restaurant or health and beauty chain need washroom products with the same feel. Airdri’s stylish, stainless steel Contour, is the perfect hand dryer for settings where a calm atmosphere is needed.
Health settings
Washroom systems within hospitals need to be reliable and durable, whilst being hygienic, easy to service and cost effective.
Warm air hand dryers are ideal for hospital settings because they eliminate the cost of paper towels and the mess and waste they cause, once soiled. They offer a hygienic alternative to paper and roller towels because there is no risk of cross-infection from soiled towels.
Hand dryers work every day throughout the year. From a cost point of view, warm air hand dryers save up to 80% of the cost of supplying and maintaining a washroom with paper or roller towels.
Patients, visitors and staff within hospitals welcome a calm environment with as little distraction as possible. Noisy appliances are not only a nuisance but, according to the World Health Organisation, excessive noise can seriously harm human health.
Until now it has been impossible to combine high speed hand dryers with low noise levels. However, in May 2012, Airdri’s new Classic+ Mkll became the first high speed hand dryer to be awarded the UK Noise Abatement Society’s ‘Quiet Mark’ supporting the company’s commitment to noise level reduction throughout its entire hand dryer range.
Educational settings
Heavy traffic environments like secondary schools or universities need robust, durable washroom systems. Airdri’s hand dryer range includes the Classic, which has the option of an extremely durable, cast iron cover making it suitable for a wide range of heavy usage environments. The strong cast iron cover also protects the dryer from potential vandalism.
Hand dryers are a good option for the school setting, as paper towels can get strewn across washroom floors or even thrown down the toilet, resulting in blockages and expensive repairs. Supplies of paper towels need to be constantly replenished – a risk that is eliminated when hand dryers are installed.
Seek expert advice
Companies need expert advice from responsible manufacturers in order to ensure they get the best washroom system for their environment. Cash-conscious companies are looking for washroom products and services that are effective, economical and energy efficient, but the range of issues that need to be thought through can be confusing. A number of energy reduction and cost criteria including power consumption, noise levels and life expectancy need to be considered. All these factors have an impact on the carbon footprint and cost effectiveness of a hand dryer so seeking advice from industry experts ensures that you will buy the most appropriate dryer for the intended environment.
Companies should compare the sustainability and cost performance of competing products against a number of energy reduction and cost criteria including power consumption, ease of servicing, noise levels and life expectancy. For example, the longer a dryer’s life, the lower the cost per dry and the better the return on investment.
Recognising the need for systems with durable motor technology, Airdri’s hand dryers have an unrivalled lifespan. Activation testing of the Classic+ MkII and the Elite dryers revealed that they last up to six years even when activated up to 650 times a day, providing the washroom services industry with significant commercial advantage.
Financial rewards
Organisations should also investigate whether they can benefit from any financial rewards from investing in sustainable equipment. For example, the UK government’s Enhanced Capital Allowance (ECA) scheme, managed by the Carbon Trust encourages businesses to invest in energy saving technologies by rewarding them with an accelerated tax break against the purchase of verified products listed on its Energy Technology Product List. Airdri’s high-speed Classic+ MkII qualifies for this scheme.
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