Criterion PF118
There is at least 1 tap delivering warm water (over an individual or shared handbasin) for every 15 persons. Persons are children attending and adults counting towards minimum adult-to-child ratio requirements.
# There are appropriate handwashing/drying facilities to minimise the spread of infection. Handwashing/drying facilities accessed after using the toilet are:
adequately separated from play and food preparation areas and
are safe for children capable of independent toileting to use without adult help.
Guidance
How to show you are complying
You must provide appropriate handwashing and drying facilities for both children and adults.
The number of taps needed depends on how many children your service is licensed for and how many adults work at your service. You must have at least one warm tap (25°C to 40°C) over a hand basin for every 15 people.
Taps can be placed over individual or shared hand basins.
You must take steps to minimise the spread of infection from handwashing or drying facilities
To minimise the spread of infection, surfaces of handwashing facilities must be smooth, and easy to clean.
You will need to provide soap for use when washing hands. Liquid soap is best because it minimises the spread of infection.
There are several options to help minimise the spread of infection when drying hands:
paper hand towels are also effective at reducing the spread of infection because they are individual and disposable
air or fan dryers, but they might be noisy and may not be suitable for children in the service
individual cloth flannels, these must only be used once before washing.
Ventilation is also needed to reduce airborne pathogens from spreading, this can include extraction fans or windows that encourage airflow.
Handwashing and drying facilities used with toilets must be clearly separated from areas used for play and food preparation
There are multiple ways to separate handwashing and drying facilities used with toilet facilities from play and food preparation areas. You could have:
a separate bathroom
design solutions which create visual and physical barriers separating the toilet and handwashing areas.
This does not prevent you from also providing additional hand basins specifically for play or kitchen use.
Make sure children can access the handwashing and drying facilities safely and easily
Children who use the toilet independently must be able to access handwashing and drying facilities without adult help. If there is a door, children must be able to open it easily.
One way to make access to handwashing easier is to install child-sized hand basins. To best suit older children these should be between 550mm and 600mm high, and 450mm to 500mm high for young children.
If you don’t use child-sized basins, you may need to provide steps so children can reach facilities safely.
When assessing whether you comply with PF118
Questions we are likely to ask
What steps have you taken to make sure your handwashing and hand drying facilities are accessible for children?
We are likely to look at, measure or count
Look at your handwashing or drying facilities to make sure:
surfaces are smooth, impervious, and easy to clean
whether handwashing or drying facilities are kept separate from play areas and places where food is prepared or served
hands can be hygienically washed and dried to minimise the risk of infection spreading
warm water flows from the taps used.
We are likely to request
The hash symbol # indicates that we might ask for a report from the National Public Health Service, under Regulation 55 of the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008.
The tools below are here to support you, but you do not have to use them. You can use other tools or methods that work better for your service.
The National Public Health Service provides some resources which may be useful.
Everyone needs access to suitable handwashing and hand drying facilities to minimise the spread of infection. These facilities also support children in washing and drying their hands safely on their own, helping build independence and healthy habits.
Doing more than the minimum can shape better outcomes for children. Here are some ideas or examples you might like to consider.
Bathroom facilities serve a practical purpose but can also provide you an opportunity to provide people place to refresh themselves. You may want to consider having a mirror or an air freshener (inaccessible to children) in areas used for handwashing and drying.
Extra handwashing facilities
Having additional handwashing and drying facilities in food preparation areas supports hygienic food preparation.
It can also be beneficial to provide additional handwashing and drying facilities in the main play areas. This not only makes it easier for children to wash their hands after messy play but also encourages good hygiene practices throughout the day, including before meals. By allowing children to wash their hands without needing to use the bathroom, you can reduce congestion and ease pressure on bathroom facilities, especially during busy times, such as before meals.