Industrial Plumbing

ADA Bathroom Requirements for Your Restaurant

When designing your restaurant layout, it is important to keep ADA regulations in mind to ensure that all of your customers have a pleasant experience in your establishment. Designing an ADA compliant bathroom can present its own set of challenges due to the various customizations necessary to make it fully accessible to customers with disabilities. We explored just some of the most common ADA restroom requirements you may encounter to help you navigate through the process of opening your restaurant. Shop All Handicap Bathroom Accessories How To Make Your Restrooms ADA Compliant Before breaking ground on your new restaurant, it is important to consult your local jurisdiction to ensure that your plans are compliant with the ADA Standards for Accessible Design as well as compliant with state regulations. Several thorough guides and blueprints are available to help you navigate through the process. ADA Public Restroom Requirements Below we highlight some of the most common areas of your restroom that would require additional consideration to bring them up to ADA regulations. ADA Bathroom Layout There are a few important aspects to consider when drawing up the floor plan and design of your bathroom. The following layout details were made to allow access to customers using a standard 30” x 48” wheelchair. Signage - Customers should be able to easily locate the restroom and be able to identify if the restroom is handicap accessible, indicated by signs placed outside of the bathroom doors. Maneuvering Space - Disabled customers should be able to easily maneuver to the toilets and sinks within the bathroom or handicap stall. A 30” x 48” wheelchair requires either a circular diameter of 60” or a T-shaped turning space that is 60” in length with a 36” width. Mounting Heights - To make accessories such as dispensers and dryers accessible, their operable parts must be located no higher than 48” above the finished floor and no lower than 15”. Equipment Accessibility - Equipment and accessories in a handicap bathroom or stall should be designed for a forward or parallel approach, as well as for both left- and right-hand access. Large Bathroom Layouts For a larger public bathroom, additional precautions should be taken to prevent congestion and challenges for disabled customers. Passageways - Entrances and exits should be lined up to allow for traffic in both directions. Bathroom aisles should allow for simple wheelchair turning and offer 67” of space between stall doors and lavatories. Passageways into the restroom must be a minimum of 48” wide. Accessories - Accessories should have a 30” x 48” clearing in front of them to allow for easy access. They should also be fully recessed into the wall to prevent injuries. Handicap Stalls - In a larger bathroom, there should be at least one 60” x 60” handicap stall. If there are 6 stalls or more, a 35” - 37” wide ambulatory accessible stall is also required. Bathroom Stalls Requirements In an ADA compliant bathroom, there are certain requirements within the 60” x 60” handicap stall that must be met. Doors Doors must be outswinging and at least 36” wide to accommodate wheelchair-bound customers. Door handles and latches must be easy to operate with one hand without pinching, twisting, or tightly grasping, and mounted between 34” - 48” inches above the finished floor. Doors should require less than 5 pounds of force to push or pull open. Toilet Wall-hung toilets should have a depth of 56”, while floor-mounted toilets should have a depth of 59”. The top of the toilet seat should be installed at a height of 17” - 19” above the finished floor and 16” - 18” away from the sidewall to the centerline of the toilet. Toilet seats cannot be spring-loaded to return automatically to an upright position. Flush controls must be on the open side of the stall so customers do not need to reach around the bowl to access it. In-Stall Dispensers Toilet paper dispensers should be mounted so that the center of the dispenser is only 7” - 9” in front of the edge of the toilet bowl and unobstructed by the side bar. The opening for the toilet paper dispenser should be 15” - 19” above the finished floor. For a handicap stall, toilet paper dispensers that do not control or limit paper delivery are recommended to keep guests from needing to repeatedly reach for more paper. Seat cover dispensers should be 15” - 48” above the finished floor. Grab Bars Handicap toilet stalls must have two horizontal grab bars, one on the rear wall above the toilet and the other on the side wall or partition closest to the toilet. A third 18” vertical grab bar may also be added above the grab bar on the side wall. The side wall grab bar must be between 42” - 48” long and located a maximum of 12” away from the rear wall. The rear wall grab bar must be 36” long and located at a position that allows for 24” of the bar to extend past the centerline of the toilet in the direction of the open space of the stall. Grab bars must be installed at a height of 33” - 36” above the finished floor and extend 1.5” away from the wall. Grab bars must be rounded and smooth, and they should have a diameter of 1.25” - 2”. ADA compliant grab bars must be securely anchored to the wall, be stationary in their brackets, and be able to support 250 lbs. of force. Urinals The rim of an ADA compliant urinal must be a maximum of 17” above the finished floor. Urinals should have a minimum depth of 13.5” from the wall to the outer rim of the bowl. Flush controls must be at maximum 48” above the finished floor. There should be a clear floor space of 30” x 48” in front of the urinal to allow for a forward approach. Lavatory Requirements To encourage hand washing for proper hygiene, it’s important to consider handicap bathroom requirements when designing your lavatory area within the restrooms of your business. Sinks There should be at least one sink in the restroom that meets ADA requirements. Sinks must be installed with enough clearance underneath for a customer in a wheelchair to be able to reach the faucets. The sink basin should be a maximum of 34” above the finished floor, leaving a knee clearance of 27” high, 30” wide, and 11” - 25” deep. The customer should have 9” in height and 17” - 25” in depth of toe clearance without hitting any plumbing. Any exposed plumbing should be insulated and padded to prevent any injuries to customers’ legs. A protective panel can be installed to block off the plumbing but must still allow for 8” deep of knee clearance and 11” deep of toe clearance with a 9” height. Countertop sinks should be installed as close to the edge as possible to allow for easy access. Faucets Faucets must be easy to operate with one hand and can be electronically controlled, lever-, push-, or touch-operated. Faucets should only require a maximum of 5 lbs. of force to operate and should not require twisting, pinching, or tight grasping. The reach depth to the faucet must not exceed 11”. Soap Dispensers Soap dispensers should be mounted at a maximum of 44” above the finished floor. Customers should be able to simultaneously use soap dispensers and faucets without interference. The reach depth to the soap dispenser must not exceed 11” and should only require a maximum of 5 lbs. of force to operate. Mirrors Mirrors should not have any exposed edges that may lead to injury. The bottom edge of the reflective surface of a mirror located above a sink should measure 40” maximum above the finished floor. If the mirror is not above a sink or countertop, it should be located 35” above the finished floor. A full-body mirror is recommended to provide the most inclusive experience. Hand Drying Touch-free or motion-activated electric hand dryers provide an easy-to-use alternative to paper towel dispensers. However, they cannot extend beyond 4” from the wall. A clearing of 30” x 48” should be provided in front of the hand dryer to allow for a forward approach. Hand dryers should be mounted between 40” - 48” above the finished floor. Hand dryers and towel dispensers should allow for left-hand and right-hand approaches. If the unit does not allow for both, one of each type is recommend. If using a paper towel dispenser, the opening should be at a maximum of 48” above the finished floor. Trash Disposal A trash receptacle on the floor can create a barrier or obstruction to wheelchair-bound customers. If used, floor trash cans should be out of pathways and not placed in front of sinks, hand dryers, or paper towel dispensers. Recessed trash disposal units keep floors clear. They should not project more than 4” from the wall and should be mounted with the opening at 27” above the finished floor. The Importance of ADA Compliance Making these changes in your business may seem daunting, but it is important to understand the significance and impact ADA modifications can have. In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed, making it a requirement for businesses to put in every effort possible to provide equal services to people with disabilities that are available to other customers. These services include the modification of entrances and exits, seating area, and restrooms. If a company fails to meet ADA requirements they can face serious penalties and fines. Complying to ADA regulations makes your establishment preferable and accessible to a wider customer base, including: The disabled community People recovering from injuries Larger or heavy-set customers The elderly Parents with small children In 2015, the CDC determined that over 53 million people in the United States live with disabilities. Adding a handicap bathroom to your location can help you cater to those customer’s needs, prevent unintentional discrimination, and may also lead to tax deductions for your business. The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice. Please refer to our Content Policy for more details.

How to Set Up a Warehouse

If you've outgrown your current space, starting your own warehouse could be the next logical step in storing and selling your company’s products online. Or it could be a profitable new venture to create a warehouse and rent out your space to other businesses. No matter what your business goals are, setting up a warehouse from scratch requires some careful planning. The layout and allocation of your space need to be mapped out early on. We’ve created this warehouse layout guide to help you set up any type of warehouse for maximum efficiency. Shop All Industrial Supplies Click below to learn more about basic warehouse design: Inbound Loading Dock Receiving Storage and Putaway Picking Shipping Outbound Loading Dock Other Warehouse Spaces Common Warehouse Layouts Warehouse Layout Before you being laying out the schematic of your warehouse, you should be familiar with the essential functions of a fulfillment center and the equipment used to handle materials. Goods come in, they get put away in storage, and they get picked for shipping. To make this happen, the goods flow from one section of the warehouse to the next. Your warehouse setup will be the most successful if you provide space for the following locations: 1. Inbound Loading Dock The loading dock, also called a receiving dock or loading bay, is the entry point where inbound trucks deliver goods to your warehouse. On the exterior of the building, a large parking area provides room for trucks to back up to the building. The dock floor is built to be flush with the truck beds so workers inside the building can enter the trailer with forklifts and pallet jacks. Loading Dock Layout Tips The parking area outside the dock should provide enough room for the largest trucks to turn around and back up to the loading bay. Dock height should be based on the bed height of the most common delivery vehicle used. Consider the number of pallets you'll be unloading during peak delivery times and allocate space for the goods and the loading dock equipment. 2. Receiving The receiving process begins as soon as goods are unloaded on the dock. Shipments are inspected, invoices are checked, and permanent storage locations are assigned for each item. By allocating a holding space for these tasks to be performed, you avoid bottlenecks when multiple shipments arrive at once. A successful receiving area should be located right next to the inbound loading dock. You’ll need space for pallets and boxes to be unloaded and a temporary space for receiving tasks to be performed. The receiving manager needs a home base to work from, which might include a permanent desk with outlets for a computer and room for filing cabinets if you use paper invoices. Receiving Area Layout Tips You can make your receiving process more efficient by including space for temporary holding locations where goods can be staged before putaway. Allow space for performing a thorough quality control check before goods are put in storage. Catching any defects or damage now will help you in the long run. 3. Storage and Putaway Most of the square footage in your warehouse will be dedicated to storage space. When you look at your warehouse space in terms of cubic feet, your storage area should take up between 22% to 27% of the total warehouse space. That percentage may sound small, but it’s because cubic feet accounts for all the vertical space in between the floor and ceiling, not just floor space. For maximum efficiency, you’ll need to take advantage of the clear height of your warehouse. What Is Clear Height in a Warehouse? Clear height is the maximum usable vertical space in your warehouse where goods can be stored. The clear height in your building will be lower than the ceiling height and must account for sprinkler systems or ductwork. Storage Area Layout Tips Take advantage of the available clear height by using pallet racks and industrial shelving to store goods vertically. Using warehouse management system software helps you to maximize your storage space and assign locations. Aisles in your storage area need to be wide enough to accommodate pallet jacks (4' to 5' wide) and/or forklifts (12' to 13' wide) Don't forget to install the proper lighting in your storage area so that goods are visible to order pickers. 4. Picking Picking is the process of retrieving goods from storage to fulfill customer orders. The warehouse employees that perform this task are called pickers. Your picking area is the home base for order pickers — it's the place where they receive their list of items and where they bring orders that are fulfilled. Picking should be located very close to the storage area and may even share some square footage. The picking area should have enough room to store picking equipment like forklifts and pallet jacks. You'll also need space for the picking manager's desk and computers for accessing the warehouse management system. Picking Area Layout Tips Add space in your layout for roller conveyors to carry fulfilled orders from picking to shipping. If your warehouse is small and you don't store items on pallets, shopping carts and shopping baskets can be used to collect smaller items during picking. 5. Shipping After orders have been picked, they are sent to the shipping and packaging area to be boxed up for fulfillment. The shipping area should be close to your storage and picking locations so that goods flow efficiently from one area to the next. Make space in your shipping area for shipping stations — work tables that are set up with all the shipping supplies your workers need to package goods. Shipping Area Layout Tips Besides shipping stations and packing tables, you’ll need space to store your backup inventory of shipping boxes and supplies. It can be helpful to add space for order staging, or organizing shipments by carrier so they are ready to be loaded onto outbound trucks. 6. Outbound Loading Dock The outbound loading dock is the end of the line for your products. It's the exit point where goods are loaded onto trucks for shipping. Just like the inbound loading bay, the outbound bay area should be the same height as the truck beds that back up to the dock. Pallets that are staged in the shipping area can be quickly moved onto trucks and then onto their final destination. Creating two loading bays (inbound and outbound) in your warehouse is necessary for a couple of reasons. For efficiency, goods should always be flowing forward in your warehouse. If you use the same dock for shipping and receiving, you will have goods moving both ways, which creates space issues and confusion. You also have to consider the truck yard and how many trucks are coming and going from your warehouse. Separating the inbound and outbound traffic helps alleviate bottlenecks. Outbound Loading Dock Layout Tips Include plans for proper ventilation on your loading dock because idling trucks create a lot of exhaust fumes. Organizing outbound shipments by carrier type helps to make shipping more efficient. Provide enough space for your outbound loading equipment like pallet wrap machines, pallet jacks, and dock ramps. Other Warehouse Spaces There are other warehouse spaces you'll need to include in your building layout. These locations aren't related to the product cycle but are necessary for business operations. Returns No one wants to think about their products being returned, but it's a fact of life that returns will happen, and they need to be processed the right way. A separate space for processing returns helps to keep those items segregated from the other products in your warehouse. Returns require their own receiving, inspection, and putaway process. Offices In smaller warehouses environments where you are the owner and operations manager all-in-one, you might not need a dedicated office space. Sometimes a desk on the floor of the warehouse or a mezzanine will do. But in other cases, where you have a diversified team of managers and supervisors, it's useful to have office spaces for conducting phone calls, meetings, and administrative duties. Breakrooms Your employees need a place to take breaks, eat their lunch, and store their personal belongings. Designing a space for your workers to unwind when they are off the clock is important for job satisfaction and employee retention. Restrooms Restrooms are essential for any business. You'll need to base the number of restrooms in your warehouse on the size of your workforce. If you have under 15 employees, one restroom might be sufficient. OSHA provides guidance on their restroom and sanitation requirements page. Maintenance and Parts Outside of the storage space needed to hold your products, you'll need a space to store all the parts and replacements that keep your warehouse running. Items like lightbulbs, hardware for industrial equipment, and tools for performing maintenance should all have an organized home in your warehouse. Types of Warehouse Layouts If you are building a warehouse from the ground up, there are three popular layouts that you can rely on when you plan your schematic. These designs all feature a universal rule — keep the inbound and outbound docks separated. U-Shaped Warehouse U-shaped warehouses are very common. The layout is similar to a semi-circle, with the inbound loading dock on one side and the outbound dock on the opposite side. Storage and picking are usually stationed in the center. Products are delivered on one side of the U and flow in one direction to the other side. I-Shaped Warehouse In the I-shaped layout, also called a through-flow layout, the warehouse is shaped like a large rectangle. The inbound dock is positioned at one end of the rectangle with the outbound dock on the opposite side. Storage is located in the middle of the rectangle. L-Shaped Warehouse The L-shaped warehouse also positions the inbound and outbound docks on opposite sides. The flow of traffic and goods move from one side of the L to the far side, with storage located in the "corner". With the increase of consumer online ordering and e-commerce fulfillment, warehouse space has become very valuable. If your business is outgrowing a garage or stock room, it might be time to think about building your own warehouse space to store and distribute goods. Keep all the essential warehouse functions in mind when you create a layout and don't forget to account for future growth.