Parents with young children know too well the challenges of finding a safe and accessible place to change their baby’s nappy while out in public. This is why the availability of baby changing stations in public washrooms is so important. In this blog post, we’ll explore the reasons why every public washroom should have a safe and accessible baby changing station.
Health and Safety
Providing a safe and accessible place to change a baby is not just a matter of convenience, it’s a matter of health and safety. A baby changing station should be clean and hygienic, to reduce the risk of infection and illnesses. It should also be sturdy and well-constructed, to prevent accidents and injuries. Innovations in this area include baby changing tables with built-in ionisers to create clean air and break down odours and anti-bacterial plastics.
Mediclinics BabyMedi® Baby Changing Station with Ioniser.
The Mediclinics BabyMedi® Horizontal Baby Changing Station with Ioniser is a wall-mounted changing table designed for use in public restrooms. It features a built-in ionizer that helps to reduce bacteria and odors in the air, as well as a safety strap and liner dispenser for added convenience and hygiene. In addition to its features, this product comes with a 2-year guarantee.
Convenience for parents
Having a baby changing station in a public washroom makes life much easier for parents. It provides a convenient place to change a baby, which can be especially helpful when the baby is fussy or has a really dirty nappy than would be offensive to others. This should extend to having baby changing facilities in all toilet facilities. Often baby change facilities are only found in disabled or female toilets. Using a disabled toilet for baby changing may prevent a disabled person from accessing the toilet when they need to. To exclude males is archaic, given that there are now 2.1 million ‘stay at home’ male parents in the UK who are the primary care givers to their children. Dual responsibility is a standard expectation in modern families and public facilities need to reflect that. Why should female parents be the ones to have to change their children’s nappies when out in public?
Accessibility
Public washrooms should be accessible to everyone, including parents with young children. A baby changing station should be located in an easily accessible area of the washroom and should be large enough to accommodate a baby, the parent, any other necessary items and other children. As a parent of twins, I know too well the challenges of changing a nappy. I can remember frequently thinking twins is just about possible, how do people manage with triplets or quads? According to the ONS in 2016 – 10786 sets of twins were born, 160 had triplets and 5 had quads.
Inclusivity
The presence of a baby changing station in a public washroom sends a message that the washroom is inclusive and accommodating to all users, including families with young children. This makes customers more likely to have an overall favourable view of the place they are visiting, which in turn leads to referrals and better online reviews.
Conclusion
In conclusion, providing safe and accessible baby changing stations in public washrooms is essential for the health and well-being of both babies and parents. It’s a matter of convenience, accessibility, and inclusivity, and it’s time for public washrooms to take notice. If you’re a business owner or manager looking to upgrade your public washroom, consider investing in a high-quality commercial baby changing station. Intelligent offer market-leading brands such as Koala Kare , BabyMedi and entry-level Babycare branded products. A complete range of finishes including Black, Stainless Steel, White, Grey and customisable colours on request.
If you have a project that needs something bespoke to match a particular colour scheme, please get in contact on 0114 3540047.
