NBS Source PartnerWorkplace toilet regulations in the UK play a vital role in ensuring the health, safety, and comfort of employees across all industries. From construction sites to office environments, employers have a legal obligation to provide adequate, accessible, and hygienic toilet and washing facilities for their staff.
Whether you're navigating compliance requirements or seeking to enhance workplace standards, understanding these regulations is essential for creating an inclusive and compliant working environment.
How Many Toilets Do You Need in an Office?
According to Regulation 20 of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, which addresses sanitary conveniences:
- Suitable and sufficient sanitary conveniences shall be provided at readily accessible places.
- Without prejudice to the generality of paragraph (1), sanitary conveniences shall not be suitable unless -
- the rooms containing them are adequately ventilated and lit;
- they and the rooms containing them are kept in a clean and orderly condition; and
- separate rooms containing conveniences are provided for men and women except where and so far as each convenience is in a separate room the door of which is capable of being secured from inside.
Using information from the Health and Safety Executive, we have created a guide to the minimum number of facilities at different-sized workplaces. These tables include the number of people at work, the number of toilets, and the number of wash basins required in workplaces.
Mixed Use & Women Only:
| Number of people at work | Number of toilets | Number of washbasins |
| 1-5 | 1 | 1 |
| 6-25 | 2 | 2 |
| 26-50 | 3 | 3 |
| 51-75 | 4 | 4 |
| 76-100 | 5 | 5 |
Men Only:
| Number of men at work | Number of toilets | Number of urinals |
| 1-15 | 1 | 1 |
| 16-30 | 2 | 1 |
| 31-45 | 2 | 2 |
| 46-60 | 3 | 2 |
| 61-75 | 3 | 3 |
| 76-90 | 4 | 3 |
| 91-100 | 4 | 4 |
The Law on Toilet and Washing Facilities for Staff
Under UK workplace toilet regulations, employers are legally required to provide access to toilets with running water, ensuring they meet the needs of all employees. This may include portable facilities, particularly on construction sites or temporary work locations. Importantly, these amenities must be inclusive, offering suitable options for individuals with disabilities in compliance with accessibility standards.
What is Classed as Adequate Washing Facilities at Work?
According to The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, (21.) satisfactory washrooms should have the following:
(1) Suitable and sufficient washing facilities, including showers if required by the nature of the work or for health reasons, shall be provided at readily accessible places.
(2) Without prejudice to the generality of paragraph (1), washing facilities shall not be suitable unless—
- they are provided in the immediate vicinity of every sanitary convenience, whether or not provided elsewhere as well;
- they are provided in the vicinity of any changing rooms required by these Regulations, whether or not provided elsewhere as well;
- (c) they include a supply of clean hot and cold, or warm, water (which shall be running water so far as is practicable);
- they include soap or other suitable means of cleaning;
- they include towels or other suitable means of drying;
- the rooms containing them are sufficiently ventilated and lit;
- they and the rooms containing them are kept in a clean and orderly condition; and
- separate facilities are provided for men and women, except where and so far as they are provided in a room the door of which is capable of being secured from inside and the facilities in each such room are intended to be used by only one person at a time.
(3) Paragraph (2)(h) shall not apply to facilities which are provided for washing hands, forearms and face only.
What Are the Rules for Toilets on Temporary Worksites?
In the UK, temporary worksites are covered under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. Employers must:
- Provide portable or temporary toilets if permanent ones are not available.
- Ensure these facilities are regularly cleaned and restocked.
- Provide handwashing facilities, including running water (where feasible), soap, and drying equipment.
- Have accessible toilets and washing facilities tailored to the needs of disabled workers, even on temporary worksites. These facilities should include spacious cubicles equipped with support rails and low-level hand basins to ensure ease of use.
Additionally, the Welfare at Work document by HSE states that those working at temporary worksites should be ‘reasonably practicable’. This means employers must provide flushing toilets and running water. Portable cabins converted into toilet facilities are available from hire companies. If this is not possible, consider alternatives such as chemical toilets and water containers. Find more information here: https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg293.PDF
It is a legal obligation for employers to ensure that all staff, including those with disabilities, have access to suitable and compliant amenities.
