With the advent of touch-free systems in the washroom hygiene sector, more and more gadgets are being introduced to eliminate cross contamination and spread of infection. The concept of touch-free toilet doors is fast catching on and Gale Lemerand, CEO of Sanidoor, USA, is looking at India as a potential market.
Washroom hygiene is directly related to the hygiene practices followed by the users. According to recent studies, around 57% of men and 46% of women in the USA do not wash their hands when exiting a public restroom. That means users often contaminate public restroom doors with an array of germs. After using a restroom, the user will be opening the door knob with the same unclean hands and the next user will get contaminated when he/she touches the door knob. “Every business restroom in the US has a sign that reads ‘employees must wash their hands prior to leaving this restroom’ but it says nothing about not touching the door handle after washing their hands. Washing hands is the first step to avoiding the flu virus and HIV,” says Gale Lemerand.
Besides, individuals who do not wish to touch the door handle, are using a great quantity of paper towels and usually throw them on the restroom floor. This not only adds to contamination and an unclean and unhygienic restroom, but is also an environmental burden.
The Sanidoor touch-free doors have wide acceptance in the US. The system has been successfully installed at many places.
“Doors equipped with the Sanidoor system open with the simple wave of one’s hand, much like touch-free faucets and towel dispensers. Sanidoor is currently popular in many restaurants and businesses in Florida and is poised to launch throughout North America. The Sanidoor system features models developed specifically for multi-user restrooms with swinging doors, latching doors (like those on cruise ships) and single-use locking public restrooms that are ideal for doctors’ waiting rooms and professional offices. The Sanidoor system is gaining popularity among large employers, hotels, hospitals, doctors’ offices and retail outlets,” says Lemerand.
Approved to meet all the US and Canadian standards for automatic door openers, Sanidoor can easily be installed on existing public restroom doors, and also in retrofit and new constructions. The innovative design of the system even includes safety measures for impediment and entrapment protection. It is ADA compliant and is internationally patented and trademarked.
Sanidoor has signed distribution agreements with partners for Canada, Australia, Japan and Hong Kong with several others in the pipeline. “The potential in India is wonderful. We are seeking a licensed distribution for the country.”
By introducing such systems, Lemerand says, “We are helping the green movement and the feed back from our users has been encouraging. They tell us their customers are showing much more respect for the restroom by keeping it clean and tidy. Many customers return to the business, simply because they feel the business is concerned about their health.”
