Standardization News

People with disabilities will benefit from a new ASTM standard that will help improve the safety of public bathrooms. The new standard (C1822, Specification for Insulating Covers on Accessible Lavatory Piping) provides guidance on protecting people from exposed pipes in accessible lavatories.

As part of the Americans with Disabilities Act, exposed piping in public restrooms must be insulated or configured to protect people in wheelchairs or with other disabilities. Insulating covers must protect against burns and other adverse reactions due to contact with hot or cold pipes. Covers must also reduce the potential for injury from contact with sharp or abrasive elements of piping.

"The number of people that use accessible restrooms is growing in many parts of the world," says ASTM member Howard Ahern, national sales and technical manager, Plumberex Specialty Products Inc. "Here in the United States, for example, we have an aging population, many disabled veterans, and a growing level of mobility for wheelchair users."

According to Ahern, the new standard identifies insulation materials and also provides safety, health and durability criteria for combinations of materials and performance. As part of that, it allows designers and specifiers to select from four fire performance classifications, depending on the type of building being designed.

People who design public restrooms – including specifiers, engineers, architects, manufacturers, governing bodies and contractors – will be primary users of the standard.

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CONTACT Technical Information: Howard Ahern, Plumberex Specialty Products Inc. • Cathedral City, Calif. • tel +1.760.250.1625 | ASTM Staff: Mary Mikolajewski • tel +1.610.832.9678 | Upcoming Meeting: April 10-13, 2016 • April Committee Week • San Antonio, Texas