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RAS trains Link Real Estate Investment Trust (Link REIT) on public toilet design and maintenance

In December last year, RAS received an enquiry from Asia’s largest REIT Link in Hong Kong regarding their interest in attending our training in September this year. They confirmed their participation in July after a meeting in May. They cited RAS as a reputable organisation in the restroom environment and therefore approached us for the training. The training consisted of an on-site visit to a Happy Toilet shopping centre in the morning followed by a theoretical session at the Link REIT’s office in the afternoon. RAS greatly appreciates The Shoppes at the Marina Bay Sands for the on-site visit to their first 6-star Happy Toilet in Singapore.

The training covered the following topics:

• RAS Guide to public Toilet Design & Maintenance
• Smart toilet solutions to increase productivity and efficiency
• National Environment Agency (NEA) Code of Practice on Environmental Health on Public Toilets
• NEA Advisory to Owners of Public Toilets
• NEA Pictorial Guide on Toilet Cleaning
• Common faults and inspection / assessment

For the past five years, RAS conducted similar training for both local companies such as Ascendas and DBS Bank as well as foreign companies and government or non-government delegates from China, Malaysia, India and Vietnam.

RAS trains Singapore Management University (SMU) undergraduates on the criteria of public toilet assessment

After the SMU’s Toilet Cleanliness Index (TCI) in 2020, the collaboration between RAS and SMU continues this year with RAS training the undergraduates to equip them with the necessary knowledge and skills to survey about 108 hawker centres and 1098 coffeeshops islandwide from August till October. 171 undergraduates are involved in this project which is spearheaded by SMU Senior Lecturer of Statistics Ms Rosie Ching.

The results of the TCI are expected to be released on 19th November on World Toilet Day. The TCI was first initiated in 2016 by the World Toilet Organization, apart from the RAS, other partners were the Public Hygiene Council and the Singapore Kindness Movement. All the partners have been invited to a discussion with five classes of the undergraduates on 6th October. Prior to the training by the RAS on 18th August, RAS and other partners were also invited to the introductory welcome event on 10th August to address the undergraduates.

RAS exchanges information with the Japan Toilet Association (JTA)

In July, the RAS wrote an email to the JTA to arrange for a possible exchange to find out about their efforts over the years which had shaped the successful toilet culture in Japan. The JTA accepted our invitation to hold an online meeting on 5th September. The exchange lasted almost 2 hours. After a brief introduction of the attendees, RAS President Mr Ho began with sharing information about our programmes targeting the owners & operators, cleaning service providers & attendants and the public users especially the young children. JTA Chairperson Dr Kobayashi shared about the brief history of JTA which was founded 3 years earlier than RAS in 1985.

When asked by the RAS about their experience of tackling dirty public toilets, she shared that even before year 2000, the issue was resolved with private companies or owners and operators taking the initiative to spruce up the toilets in supermarkets. The companies believed that good and comfortable toilets would bring in more customers especially housewives. When asked was it more of education or culture which had shaped the public users to keep their toilets clean, she replied that it was more of a culture because the Japanese believe there is a god like a shrine inside a toilet. From young, they are educated to show respect to the god inside the toilet by keeping it clean. Before the end of the meeting, JTA extended an invitation to RAS to showcase an exhibition at its annual symposium.