17 August 2022
Wheelchair accessible WC Pan dimensions
Accessible WC pan projection
As per the Doc M design considerations, the extended projection of an accessible toilet pan installed from the back wall to the front must comply with a 750mm dimension whether the WC is wall hung, floor mounted, or close coupled.
Accessible WC pan height
Dimensions must measure 480mm from the floor to the toilet seat whether the accessible WC pan is wall hung, floor mounted, or close coupled to satisfy Doc M regulations. There must be consideration for some wheelchair users who may find it difficult to use a standard height WC. In this circumstance, the WC pan can incorporate a variable height toilet seat riser which would be acceptable.
Diagram 1
Diagram 1 shows a plan view of a WC pan that projects 540mm in a wheelchair-accessible toilet cubicle with the rest of the fittings in the correct positions.
Notice that the WC pan is too short and makes it hard to transfer to and from the wheelchair. Doc M notes this potential challenge in the design considerations.
It becomes a huge problem when the building control officer inspects each dimension of the fixtures and fittings. Should they discover that the WC pan does not project to 750mm with the correct height, the accessible cubicle will be deemed non-compliant.
And what does this mean for you? It means pulling out the WC pan to install a compliant one. But, because the projection is longer with the compliant WC pan, it can overlap the fittings dimensions and layout around it (washbasin, tissue paper dispenser etc.). Essentially, you could end up redoing the entire cubicle to comply with the washroom dimensions of each fitting.
Diagram 2
To demonstrate from the above example, Diagram 2 depicts a plan view of the same fitting arrangements as in Diagram 1 (the original washroom layout). This diagram shows the installation of a compliant 750mm projection WC pan replacing the previous WC pan.
As you can see, the space between the WC and the washbasin is too close together, resulting in the other fitting dimensions being out of place. Thus, merely uninstalling and reinstalling the correct WC pan is not as plain sailing as it may seem.
