Review of Building (Standards of Sanitary Fitments, Plumbing, Drainage Works and Latrines) Regulations - Review on Provision of Sanitary Fitments for Female

Bureau / Department	Development Bureau and Buildings Department (BD)
Objective	To establish a new set of standards on the design, construction, operation and maintenance of sanitary fitments, plumbing and drainage provisions for buildings leading to proper use of materials and better design.
Content	Identify any shortcomings of the current ordinance, regulations and standards; Conduct a comprehensive study of international and other relevant national requirements on sanitary fitments, plumbing and drainage provisions for buildings; Identify special local factors and environmental conservation aspects including water and energy conservation, wastewater reduction and reuse, and water pollution control that should be taken into account in stipulating requirements on sanitary fitments, plumbing and drainage provisions for buildings in Hong Kong; and Propose new standards and the appropriate means of control.
Groups / Persons Affected	General public and stakeholders of the construction industry.
Impact	At the request of BD, the consultant had conducted a mini on-site survey to verify the proposals on the provisions of sanitary fitments for females in 10 shopping arcades, 3 cinemas and 3 places of public entertainment. The survey included patronage count, time check and face-to-face interview and were conducted at peak hours on selected weekdays and weekends. BD issued a practice note in May 2005 advising developers and building designers to adopt new standards on the provisions of sanitary fitments for females in offices, shopping arcades and department stores, cinemas and places of public entertainment. The Legislative Council passed the amended regulations in December 2015. An enhanced male/ female ratio of 1:1.5 (instead of the previous ratio of 1:1) is adopted for assessing the numbers of men and women in a premises, and the provision of sanitary fitments for women would be enhanced accordingly. Specifically, the number of water closet fitments to be provided for females in shopping arcades and department stores, cinemas, and places of public entertainment will be increased on average by about 75%, 160% and 185% respectively. Taking into account the water closet fitments and urinals for male, the ratio of male-to-female sanitary fitments under the new standards will be 1:1.6 in general. This new ratio will be comparable with that of Singapore; and higher than that of the United Kingdom and the United States, which is 1:1.3. The revised standards are in line with our circumstances and needs, and can alleviate the current shortage of female sanitary fitments in public places in Hong Kong.
Success Factor / Lessons Learned	Collection of sex disaggregated data is important in understanding the different needs of male and female users. The Gender Mainstreaming Checklist has raised gender-sensitivity of both the consultant and staff of BD.