-
Here's a list of general Regulations and Guidance that Horne thermostatic mixing valves, showers and taps contribute to compliance. Click on the + to expand each topic below.
There are a number of guidance documents that relate to accessible facilities for less able people and their carers:
The Building Regulations, Approved Document M. Access to and use of Buildings Volume 2: Buildings other than dwellings. (2015)
British Standard 8300:2018 Design of buildings and their approaches to meet the needs of disabled people – Code of practice
Changing Places Consortium has produced Practical Guidance for the development of assisted and accessible changing, toilet and shower facilities in public spaces such as airports, motorway service stations, leisure centres and shopping centres.
Sport England have also produced a Design Guidance Note Accessible Sports Facilities in relation to team and public shared-use facilities.
All of the above help meet obligations under The Disability & Equality Act 2010 and provide advice on the design and layout of facilities to cater for all, whether able-bodied or with any kind of physical impairment.
In our experience, Doc M is the guidance most rigourously followed on construction and refurbishment projects. Doc M, however, does also refer to all these other documents for additional guidance in regard to appropriate sanitary fittings and changing/showering layouts.
The relevant requirements for each of these documents is summarised below. For detailed information, please refer to the relevant document link in the adjacent list.
Sanitary facilities - Showers
Pre-requisites of the documents above is UK Water Regulation 4 Approved (see previous section) for terminal tap and shower fittings. BS 8300 refers specifically to the enclosure of hot water pipes and wastes in order to avoid the possibility of injuries caused by hot surfaces.
BS 8300 and Changing Places guidance calls for showers, bath and basin taps to be thermostatically controlled by a thermostatic mixing valve (TMV). Considering the potential increased vulnerability of disabled users, it would seem logical that this TMV should be Type 3 Approved as those used for healthcare applications.
For sanitary fittings, visual contrast with the background surface is important, as agreed in all 4 documents. Sport England's Accessible Sports Facilities document also states, 'of people registered blind or partially sighted, 96% have some degree of vision that can be significantly enhanced by good use of colour, luminance and textured surfaces'.
To further assist blind and partially sighted users, Doc M and BS 8300 suggest that tap and shower controls are marked in a clear and logical manner.
All documents require easy to operate lever controls for taps and shower fittings to assist users with limited grip and hand mobility. Thus, easy to operate with a 'closed fist'.
Where the documents deviate in their advice is in relation to the arrangement of the shower head relative to the shower controls. The advice is, therefore, open to interpretation. Below is a summary of the requirements for each document (note, in particular, the inclusion/omission and mounting heights of the secondary fixed shower head).
| Document / Feature | Part M | BS:8300 | Changing Places | Sport England |
| Lever Control | see BS 8300 | yes | easy to operate | yes |
| Control Markings | logical & clear | logical & clear | easy to read | not mentioned |
| Control Height (mm) | 750-1000 | 750-1000 | 750-1000 | 1000 |
| Adjustable showerhead height (mm) | 1200 - 1400 | 1050 - 1850 | 1200 - 1400 | 1400 |
| secondary showerhead height (mm) | not specified | not required | not required | 1800 |
With both a fixed head and adjustable height handset, our T7_5T_2L range of bimodal, manual diverter, showers meet the requirements of Doc M*. Position the shower panel installation mounting screw approximately 1832mm from finished floor level (FFL) to achieve upper (flow/diverter) control at position 1000mm above FFL. Mount the riser rail on the wall adjacent to the shower panel (lower fixing at 1100mm AFFL). This meets the height adjustment range recommended in Doc M and Changing Places guidance. The pull tab, or Release Extender, can also assist shorter or wheelchair shower users to lower a high-set handset.
Where only a single shower outlet is required (BS8300 and Changing Places), select the Horne T1****2L shower ranges, which include 675mm riser rail in white/grey or deep orange/grey mounted directly on the shower panel.
These shower models meet the requirements laid out above:
Pre-plumbed enclosure - no exposed hot water pipes (plus quick and easy installation)
Integral TSV1-3 shower valve - Type 3 and UK Water Reg 4 Approved
Visual contrast: shower controls, head, hose & handset / background panel (LRV = 84) / Black/grey lever riser mechanism against white or orange riser rail
Lever controls, clearly marked and individually shaped to further denote function by feel, and easy to operate with a closed fist
* current arrangement uses wall-mounted riser rail, length 675mm between fixing centres, thus meets DOC M and Changing Places guidance. For broader compliance with additional Accessible/Inclusive Design regulations and guidance, a longer wall-mounted riser rail (1060mm between fixing centres) will become the standard issue for the T7*5T*2L accessible shower packages. This is anticipated to be in production from approx. late September 2024.
Sanitary Facilities - Grab Rails
There is consensus across all the above documents (and also HBN 00-02 in our Healthcare regulations section) regarding the recommended mounting height of grab rails associated with accessible changing areas, shower areas, basins, baths and WCs.
The table below gives recommended mounting heights for each sanitary assembly. Units are mm above finished floor level, AFFL.
| Area / Rail | Vertical Rail | Horizontal Rail* | Other Rail |
| Changing area | 800-1400 | 680 800 (towel rail) |
not applicable |
| Shower | 800-1400 | 680 800 (towel rail) |
not applicable |
| Hand wash basin | 2 No. @ 800-1400 300-350mm L and R from basin centreline |
not applicable | not applicable |
| WC | 2 No. @ 800-1400 470mm L and R from WC centreline |
680 | oblique 15° (optional) |
| Bath | 680-1180 | 75-100 above top edge of bath |
oblique 13° 75-100 (lower fitting) |
*Please note that the mounting height refers to the top edge of the rail and not the height of the fixing points. Horne grab rails are 32mm in diameter, therefore the fixing centres should be 664mm or 784mm above finished floor level.
L8 Approved Code of Practice, 4th Edition (2013): Legionnaires' Disease - The control of legionella bacteria in water systems.
HSG274 Part 2 (2014): Legionnaires Disease - Part 2: The control of legionella bacteria in hot and cold water systems. [Guidance]
L8 ACOP provides practical advice on how to comply with the law, specifically in relation to the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) and COSHH, Control of Substances Harmful to Health.
The law applies to dutyholders, which includes landlords and employers.
Regulation 4 of the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999
Regulation 4 of the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999 (plus equivalent requirements in Water Bylaws Scotland (2014) and Northern Ireland) outlines requirements for materials used in water fittings to prevent contamination of the water supply. It stipulates that materials must not cause or be likely to cause contamination of the water and sets standards for their suitability for use in contact with drinking water.
BS 6920 Testing
BS 6920 is a British Standard that specifies requirements for the suitability of non-metallic materials in contact with water intended for human consumption. Approved test houses conduct various tests to assess compliance with this standard, including evaluating the effect of materials on water quality, appearance, odour, flavour, leaching compounds, and their ability to support microbial growth.
Testing Conducted by Approved Test Houses
An approved test house, accredited according to ISO 17025 and recognised by organisations like UKAS, conducts tests to demonstrate a plumbing product's compliance with BS 6920. Once a product has demonstrated that it meets or exceeds the requirements of BS 6920, it receives certification from the test house, indicating its suitability for use in contact with potable water.
KIWA Watertec and NSF International are ISO 17025 accredited test houses offering this testing service in the UK. Their Certification Schemes for product compliance with BS 6920 are KIWA KUKReg4 and NSF REG4 respectively. Manufacturers may choose to receive additional certification from WRAS Ltd but bear in mind that WRAS only certifies test data provided by KIWA or NSF; WRAS Ltd are not themselves a test house.
Relevant approval certificates for Horne products are listed under the Useful Documents section of each product page, or in our Product Approvals list.
Following a petition and campaign by the Scottish Burned Children's Club to the Scottish Parliament in November 2004 and a Westminster private members' bill by Labour MP Mary Creagh in March 2006, the high incidence of bath scalding accidents in the home was addressed in both the Scottish Building Standards (from May 2006) and the UK Building Regulations (from March 2010).
The relevant sections of each current guidance document are:
The Building Regulations, Approved Document G, Sanitation, hot water safety and water efficiency (2016 Update)
Scottish Building Standards, Technical Handbook - Domestic (2017). Part 4: Safety
Scottish Building Standards, Technical Handbook - Non-domestic (2017). Part 4: Safety
Pre-requisites for compliance with each of the documents above are UK Water Regulation 4 Approval and HSE L8 compliance listed earlier (for workplaces and premises controlled in connection with a trade, business or other undertaking). Emphasis is also placed upon the operator's duty of care and the required maintenance of safety devices to ensure correct operation.
Prevention of Scalding
To prevent scalding, the temperature of hot water, at the point of delivery to a bath or bidet, should not exceed 48°C. (para 4.9.5, SBS Domestic technical handbooks)
The hot water supply temperature to a bath should be limited to 48°C by use of an in-line blending valve or other appropriate device. (para 3.65, Part G)
Facilities used for personal hygiene - to prevent scalding, the temperature of hot water, at point of delivery to a bath, shower or bidet, should be limited...up to a maximum of 48ºC. Delivery temperature of hot water to a facility should relate to the vulnerability of people who may use the facility, particularly elderly people or unsupervised children, who are more at risk from injury. (para 4.9.5, SBS Non-Domestic technical handbook
Acceptability of a TMV for this application is demonstrated by compliance with BS EN 1111 and BS EN 1287 (SBS Technical Handbook para 4.9.5, Part G para 3.66), which is confirmed by selecting a TMV with Type 2 Approval as minimum.
In-line blending valves and composite thermostatic mixing valves should be compatible with the sources of hot and cold water that serve them. (para 3.67, Part G)
For the prevention of contamination and colonisation by waterborne pathogens (Legionella Pneumophila, for example), Part G also recommends minimising the length of supply pipe between in-line blending valves and the outlet, as well as thermal disinfection/flushing of infrequently used outlets (para 3.68).