Are filling stations legally required to provide toilets?

Wishbone Ash

More and more seem to be adopting lame excuses such as "out of order", "being refurbished" or "the key is missing". Are they legally required to provide toilets?

(I can't find anything specific to filling station toilets in the Statute Book.)

Thanks.

seamus

I don't see why they would be. Afaik, only businesses which serve food or drink for consumption on the premises are obliged to provide toilets for customer use.

Chris_5339762

Also shops above a certain square-footage have to.

Wishbone Ash

seamus wrote: »

I don't see why they would be. Afaik, only businesses which serve food or drink for consumption on the premises are obliged to provide toilets for customer use.

I take the point but, in the early 1980s, when I worked in a couple of filling stations, they had toilets. I recall my bosses saying that they were required to provide them. That was the era when they were proper filling stations - not convienence shops, and there were a lot more of them around then so you'd imagine that some not having toilets wouldn't be a major problem.

But if they are not required to have toilets, why all the excuses? Why don't they simply say they don't provide them?

slimjimmc

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

I take the point but, in the early 1980s, when I worked in a couple of filling stations, they had toilets. I recall my bosses saying that they were required to provide them. That was the era when they were proper filling stations - not convienence shops, and there were a lot more of them around then so you'd imagine that some not having toilets wouldn't be a major problem.

If those were franchised filling stations then most likely it was the franchisor's policy that all stations under their brand meet a certain standard.

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

But if they are not required to have toilets, why all the excuses?
Why don't they simply say they don't provide them?

Perhaps they really are "out of order", "being refurbished" or "the key is missing" and perhaps those who don't have them actually do say so. Are you suggesting that places with no toilets are pretending they have them just so they can refuse you?

Run_to_da_hills

I had a row with a service station in Athy a few years back when the cashier refused to let me use the sink. I told him the pump was leaking and got diesel on my hands. I then said I would not be paying him for the fuel because I would have to put my diesel contaminated hands into my pockets, he was very quick to change his mind.

The Texaco service station before the M4 now charges you to use the jacks.

Bluetonic

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

I
The Texaco service station before the M4 now charges you to use the jacks.

A charge is a good idea if the money used is going to keep them in order.

Some service station facilities are poor to say the least.

ElBarco

I did some time in filling stations to pay the bills in college. The toilets were constantly out of order because some people have an irrisistable urge to destroy public toilets.

This included every type of bodily fluid smeared on the walls regularly. It was quite a bit of hassle fighting to keep them presentable so most of the time you just couldn't let customers use them.

Wishbone Ash

slimjimmc wrote: »

If those were franchised filling stations then most likely it was the franchisor's policy that all stations under their brand meet a certain standard.

I hadn't thought of that. Now that you say it, they were both Shell stations and the owners always appeared to be eager to please them (Shell).

slimjimmc wrote:

Perhaps they really are "out of order", "being refurbished" or "the key is missing" and perhaps those who don't have them actually do say so. Are you suggesting that places with no toilets are pretending they have them just so they can refuse you?

The one where the toilets are "being refurbished" has been saying that for months. The one where "the key has gone missing" is large busy station in Dublin and the key has been "missing" for a considerable time. To make it worse, it's also the first filling station one meets after exiting a motorway at a busy junction.

ElBarco wrote: »

The toilets were constantly out of order because some people have an irrisistable urge to destroy public toilets

Pubs and restaurants don't close off their toilets because some people abuse them.

Bluetonic wrote:

A charge is a good idea if the money used is going to keep them in order.

I agree. I'd have no problem paying a reasonable charge.

Mrs OBumble

They're filling stations, not emptying stations!!!

veryangryman

JustMary wrote: »

They're filling stations, not emptying stations!!!

Best comeback ive heard in a while - well done!

astrofool

They don't, they also have to have seperate staff toilets to public toilets if they wanted to provide one on site (they will all have a staff toilet, usually the only toilet). If they let a customer use the staff toilet and an accident occurs, their public liability insurance won't cover it.

howiya

astrofool wrote: »

They don't, they also have to have seperate staff toilets to public toilets if they wanted to provide one on site (they will all have a staff toilet, usually the only toilet). If they let a customer use the staff toilet and an accident occurs, their public liability insurance won't cover it.

Also if they are a filling station that serves food has a deli etc staff must use a seperate toilet to the general public to comply with food safety regulations

Wishbone Ash

howiya wrote: »

Also if they are a filling station that serves food has a deli etc staff must use a seperate toilet to the general public to comply with food safety regulations

What about filling stations who serve food with deli counter etc. (no seats) but do not provide any toilets for the general public?

JustMary wrote:

They're filling stations, not emptying stations!!!

Well done Mary - I'd say you must crack yourself up with all that humour!

howiya

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

What about filling stations who serve food with deli counter etc. (no seats) but do not provide any toilets for the general public?

Well if they dont provide toilets for the general public they still can't use the staff toilet for the reason I stated.

Not sure of the legal status on stations being required to provide toilets but any of them that I worked in during my teenage and college years did provide seperate toilets for the general public

Wishbone Ash

howiya wrote: »

Not sure of the legal status on stations being required to provide toilets

.......the whole point of the thread..........!

howiya

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

.......the whole point of the thread..........!

Yes well I was just sharing my personal experience. Why don't you run along and read a statute book to find the answer

Wishbone Ash

howiya wrote: »

Why don't you run along and read a statute book to find the answer

See post #1.