Sanitary "Green" Restrooms - Hand Driers and Waterless Urinals - Food Manufacturing

[tsmith7858]

I guess you could call this "Potty Talk" but our sustainability team is reviewing the possibility of hand driers and waterless urinals in our restrooms. Being a food manufacturing we are looking to ensure this is done in a sanitary manner.

I know hand driers have their issues with sanitation but there appear to be some "sanitary" models from Dyson and Sani-Dri that reduce or eliminate the bacteria issues which make it a more viable option.

What I have not been able to find if definitive proof on the sanitary merit of waterless urinals. There seems to be split sides on whether they are sanitary. It seems as if there is merit in water savings but we cannot trade of one issue for another.

Questions:
Is anyone using a "sanitary" hand drier?
Does anyone use waterless urinals in a food manufacturing restroom?
Does anyone have objective evidence as to whether or not they are sanitary?

[Marc]

Can any of you who are involved in food products comment on, or help with, this thread?

[USRREVA]

If "sanitary hand driers" are the air dryers that detect motion and turn on, they are used quite commonly in food manufacturing facilities as the paper or cloth roll type are generally prohibited due to sanitation issues. We had looked at the waterless urinals, but like you, I could not get any definitive information on it.

[tsmith7858]

USRREVA - Thanks and welcome to the cove.

"Sanitary hand driers" are a new breed that claims to reduce the spread of germs. Typical hand driers are not always that sanitary and spread more germs than papertowels.

[MIREGMGR]

I would think the marketers of the equipment, at least of a better grade, would regard it as their responsibility to have available for their regulated customers a substantial file of performance information amounting to a process validation report. They also should provide a literature survey regarding relevant research and objective product performance evaluations.

I assume they make the usual claims of suitability for the intended purpose and superior performance compared to the competition. Without such documentation, how are their claims defendable?

[Ajit Basrur]

Refer this interesting article - http://www.kellermeyer.com/Resources...per_Towels.pdf

[harry]

For hand driers, you can validate its effectiveness but for waterless urinals??? I think the problem with urinals are from the poor marksmen who splashed all over - in the old system, at least they were flushed with water but not so in the waterless system. Perhaps good only for the sharp shooters.

[Stijloor]

Originally Posted by harry

For hand driers, you can validate its effectiveness but for waterless urinals??? I think the problem with urinals are from the poor marksmen who splashed all over - in the old system, at least they were flushed with water but not so in the waterless system. Perhaps good only for the sharp shooters.

Waterless urinals stink!

Stijloor.