Most of us need to use public access lavatories in our day-to-day lives. Most of us know that we should wash our hands thoughly after we have used those facilities. But many do not, and currently we are all increasingly at risk of such unhygienic behaviour. This is increasingly important in the context of the Covid 19 Corona Virus and other germs transmitted by hand to hand contact.

The issue would be significantly improved by different solutions which could be applied for the differing designs of our public access buildings: doors that open outwards that could be pushed, or could be operated by a pedal for one's feet; or we could use sliding doors which opened without needing to use our hands at all.

Of course it would be ideal if everyone "did the right thing" but that is unrealistic.

Aside from the obvious everyday hygiene aspects we are increasingly going to be exposed to the threats of infectious diseases such as the rapidly spreading Corona Virus (Covid 19) and other threats to come.

There is a 50:50 choice about the way a door opens. I am appealing to landlords, architects, building companies and anyone who is able to influence them to ask that we rethink how doors to public lavatory facilities are designed to open.

It would make such buildings a lot more hygienic and might even reduce the spread of the infectious diseases that are otherwise being given a "free rein" to be passed from hand to hand via door handles in public lavatory facilities. It would reduce the  burden on our national health service and save lives.

Please let's ask those that influence these things to "do the right thing".