19. Organisers need to know the audience size and likely male to female ratio when determining the number of toilets required for an event. When there is insufficient information to assess this ratio, a split of male to female 50:50 should be assumed.
20. Table 1 below provides a basic guide to the number of units needed. However, an event-specific assessment of needs should be used to determine whether additional or a different balance of facilities is required. For example, an event organiser may decide to provide female and male urinals in addition to the traditional cubicles for greater speed of use and a reduction in the length of queues.
21. In other some situations (e.g. VIP areas) the minimum facilities outlined in Table 1 may not offer the premium experience such visitors would expect, and consideration should be given to increasing facilities based on assess anticipated demand and acceptable queue times.
22. Similarly, the number of accessible toilets needed should be based on the anticipated number of wheelchair users attending but care should be taken to manage these facilities to ensure only those who need to use them do so. To create a suitable wheelchair turning circle chemical accessible toilets normally have a much smaller waste holding tank which will quickly fill if not restricted to only users with a legitimate need.
23. Those stewarding accessible facilities should be trained to be aware that not all disabilities are visible to avoid potential for embarrassment.
24. Events where campsites are provided have differing requirements on ratios of urinals and WCs. This has been considered in the suggested ratios in Table 1.
25 Some events are now using urinals for both males and females. Female urinals can increase throughput and reduce queuing at temporary toilets at events where the age and profile of the audience makes it appropriate to include them. However, care should be taken to ensure that there are adequate numbers of traditional female WCs to cover those who do not find these systems acceptable.
26. Where single chemical toilets are provided with internal basins, ratios of toilets need to increase by 25% as set out in Standard BS6465 which states in section 5.3.3 “Self-Contained Toilets” – where more than two wc’s are recommended with built-in washbasins, WC provision should be increased by 25% (i.e. one additional wc per four wc’s or part thereof should be provided).
Table 1
Guidance on sanitation provision at a variety of event types when facilities provided are either toilet blocks or self-contained toilets where basins are NOT internal.
For events with a gate opening time of less than 6 hours duration
Female Toilets – 1 per 100
Male Toilets – 1 per 500
Urinals – 1 per 150
Accessible Toilets for disabled and wheelchair – 1 per 50
For events with a gate opening time of 6 hours or more, but with little or no alcohol or food served
Female Toilets – 1 per 85
Male Toilets – 1 per 425
Urinals – 1 per 125
Accessible Toilets for disabled and wheelchair – 1 per 45
For events with a gate opening time of 6 hours or more with alcohol or food served in quantity
Female Toilets – 1 per 75
Male Toilets – 1 per 400
Urinals – 1 per 100
Accessible Toilets for disabled and wheelchair – 1 per 40
For campsites at major events, swapping emphasis from urinals to wc's for males
Female Toilets – 1 per 75
Male Toilets – 1 per 150
Urinals – 1 per 250
Accessible Toilets for disabled and wheelchair – 1 per 40
Table 2
Refers to self-contained toilets with internal basins ONLY. Please note that ratios of accessible toilets are not affected by this recommendation, since their internal basin needs to be a specialist unit with a hand pump, and external units – typically with a foot pump – are unsuitable.
For events with a gate opening time of less than 6 hours duration
Female Toilets – 1 per 80
Male Toilets – 1 per 400
Urinals – 1 per 150
Accessible Toilets for disabled and wheelchair – 1 per 50
For events with a gate opening time of 6 hours or more, but with little or no alcohol or food served
Female Toilets – 1 per 68
Male Toilets – 1 per 340
Urinals – 1 per 125
Accessible Toilets for disabled and wheelchair – 1 per 45
For events with a gate opening time of 6 hours or more with alcohol or food served in quantity
Female Toilets – 1 per 60
Male Toilets – 1 per 320
Urinals – 1 per 100
Accessible Toilets for disabled and wheelchair – 1 per 40
For campsites at major events, swapping emphasis from urinals to wc's for males
Female Toilets – 1 per 60
Male Toilets – 1 per 120
Urinals – 1 per 250
Accessible Toilets for disabled and wheelchair – 1 per 40
27. Further guidance on sanitary installations can be found in BS6465-1:2006 + A1:2009 Sanitary Installations Code of practice for the Design of Sanitary Facilities and Scales of Provision of Sanitary and Associated Appliances.