# Medical Office toilet room in waiting lobby - required?



## kach22i (Mar 7, 2010)

I cannot find any requirement for a Medical Office (B-Business) to have a toilet room in the waiting room/ lobby.

Way back in the days of BOCA I remember hearing about a requirement for a BF toilet room off the waiting room lobby of all medical offices (doctors/dentist). The small projects I've been working on in the past ten years have just had a open hallway connecting toilet access to the lobby. However the existing building tenant build out I'm working on would have a person leave the suite to common shared toilets on that floor. This tenant is taking up most of the floor, the other suite is empty right now.

I can add a toilet room door from the lobby, but the question is; do I have to?

I'm in Michigan, our Chapter 29 Plumbing is in another booklet but is pretty much the same as the IBC sections 2902+.


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## Coug Dad (Mar 7, 2010)

Re: Medical Office toilet room in waiting lobby - required?

Welcome to the board.

There is not a requirement for a toilet room in the lobby.


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## pyrguy (Mar 7, 2010)

Re: Medical Office toilet room in waiting lobby - required?

And as long as there enough toilets in the building, according to the tables and in the proper location, none are required in the office suite.


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## kach22i (Mar 7, 2010)

Re: Medical Office toilet room in waiting lobby - required?

Thank you, and on a sunny Sunday afternoon no less.

It's good to be busy again - I guess.

Cheers, George/kach22i


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## vegas paul (Mar 8, 2010)

Re: Medical Office toilet room in waiting lobby - required?

Only requirement that is related to this is:

Thse people in the waiting room need to have access to restrooms within 500 ft.  These can be in the medical office suite (lobby OR back in the treatment area, as long as the waiting folks can get back there) or common or "campus"  restrooms in the building that are available to multiple tenants.  This is OK also if you need to ask for a key from the receptionist for the medical office you are visiting.

Basically, just let the people waiting go potty if they need to!  Simple as that...


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## Coug Dad (Mar 8, 2010)

Re: Medical Office toilet room in waiting lobby - required?

Often a clinic will not want a toilet room in the waiting room.  They hate it when the doc orders a specimen and the patient responds that they just went in the restroom in the lobby.  When the toilet room is in the back, the patient will need to ask the front desk staff and they can determine if a specimen is needed.


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## JBI (Mar 8, 2010)

Re: Medical Office toilet room in waiting lobby - required?

Coug Dad - Funny you should bring up that point... Exactly what happened to me a few years ago when waiting for a physical. Had to go, went, found out ten minutes later they wanted a specimen. Had to bring a cup home and drop it off the next day.

For those who find themselves in that predicament in the future... get your sample when you wake up in the morning and it won't have to go in the fridge overnight!


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## Pcinspector1 (Mar 8, 2010)

Re: Medical Office toilet room in waiting lobby - required?

John,

Don't put it next to the apple juice!


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