As more public and workspaces reopen, health experts have warned of the dangers of sharing close quarters with others. This has sparked questions regarding the safety of public restrooms, according to an article from Building Operating Management on the FacilitiesNet website. 

Facility managers now face the daunting task of keeping these restrooms clean and safe through short-term and long-term changes to their design and maintenance.  

Automated technologies are easy to retrofit into existing spaces, offering hands-free alternatives to improve hygiene and minimize contact with surfaces.

For instance, air-powered hand dryers have been shown to spread germs and could circulate viral aerosols, so facility managers should disconnect those machines and replace them with motion-sensored paper towel dispensers placed near the doors, if possible, according to the article.

Read the full Building Operating Management article.