Astor Bannerman has worked with Haringey Council to install a brand-new Changing Places toilet in Finsbury Park, North London, boosting the accessibility of green space in the borough. It is the also the first installation of the Astor Invincible, a changing table designed specifically for public Changing Places, in a public park.
The new toilet facility is part of a larger accessible development instigated by the council within the park, which includes the new ‘Richard Hope Play Space’, also opening today. The new play space has been designed with accessibility and inclusivity in mind, featuring a wide range of play equipment and disabled play provision.
The brand-new fully accessible facility was officially opened today; and the ceremony was attended by representatives from local community and disability groups, who have been instrumental in ensuring that the park is accessible for those in the community with complex needs.
Finsbury Park’s new Changing Places toilet features a height adjustable wash basin, ceiling track hoist, privacy screen and the Astor Invincible Changing Table, which is designed to deliver uncompromised user comfort and simple hygienic upkeep and disinfection, while addressing the very unique requirements of a public toilet & changing venue with multi-user usage and often open or semi-restricted access. It was developed, component by component, to ensure that vulnerable parts were eradicated, and complies with regulation laid out by the Changing Places Consortium Guidelines.
The main unique and patent pending feature of the Astor Invincible is the stretcher material – a highly cut resistant material that flexes to give a comfortable surface to lie on, and also a surface that is very easy to disinfect and clean. The stretcher is also incorporated into the frame in a manner that minimises gaps and nooks & crannies, sealed to give a hygienic and easy to clean surface.
The overall minimalistic design, whilst being very in vogue with urban industrial styling, gives a perfect robust product. There are no exposed parts, wires, controls or fittings, making this a truly tamper-proof product. The controls are integrated into the frame with two sets of simple up/down control buttons to choose from to suit the care-givers position and preference. One set is positioned on the front cover of the upright frame and one on the front of the stretcher frame, dismissing the need for a handset controller that is much more easily tampered with. The fittings are all security fixed and there are no removable parts – no requirement for an extra padded mattress for example, as the stretcher itself provides comfort in itself.
The guards have also been designed to give added flexibility and versatility to the care-giver. Instead of one standard front guard, the Astor Invincible offers two mini front guards allowing the flexibility to use both guards for full protection, or to lower one to give better access to give care whilst retaining a level of protection.
The Astor Invincible has a height adjustment range from 300 mm to 1040 mm, a 227kg maximum working load with stretcher dimensions of 1800mm x 800mm. It is IK10 tested which is the highest level of rated protection against impact.
The Astor Invincible is the first changing table designed with Changing Places toilets in mind. It delivers uncompromised user comfort and simple hygienic upkeep and disinfection, while addressing the very unique requirements of a public toilet & changing venue with multi-user usage and often open or semi-restricted access.