Is This Legal in Ontario?

[Mondaygirl]

Hi all,
A friend of mine recently got a job at a centre here in Ontario, Canada, and her room has a counter with a double sink. The admin of the place told her that it is perfectly fine to empty potties in one of the sinks and use the other one for hand washing and dishes and such. I cannot believe this is actually true but I’m having a hard time locating any info on the regulations. I would very much appreciate anyone who can point me in the right direction. It seems so gross and I just cannot believe that this could be legal!

[Mike]

I don't remember reading anything about those specifics, but if there is something on it, you may find it at http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/childcare/. Definitely not very sanitary.

[Rockgirl]

Legal or not, that is disgusting!

[Pestle]

WHOA!

I find it hard to believe there's no code requirement for an adjacent washroom with sink. This is asking for an outbreak.

[Mondaygirl]

Legal or not, that is disgusting!

Right?!

[Msdunny]

Man, I need sleep! I read ‘potties’ as ‘bottles’ and could not figure out why everyone thought that was so bad. ::

[Mondaygirl]

WHOA!

I find it hard to believe there's no code requirement for an adjacent washroom with sink. This is asking for an outbreak.

She said that it’s just for pee, and solid waste has to be taken to a nearby bathroom. I just can’t understand how you can pour pee down a sink when a child is washing his hands in the sink right next to it. Im glad I’m not the only one! Meanwhile, I still haven’t been able to find policy that states it’s not allowed. I guess it’s something that’s so common sense that they thought it doesn’t need legislation 😂.

[Cat Herder]

I recall a thread about a potty training technique for infants that required providers to hold infants over the hand sinks to urinate (as demanded by parents). It was called something like "elimination communication". It was unexpectedly heated at one point. I will try to find it. ::

[CalCare]

Lol even for EC, I think people should use a kid potty or a real toilet. Why a sink!? I have always found it strange though, when I have seen people pour pee from a kid potty into the sink and then wash it out. I pour in toilet and add water from the bath, and pour that water into the toilet, and then do a paper towel wipe and a Lysol spray that's my own procedure I made up. I have no idea what lengths FCCERS or something would have us go through!

[hwichlaz]

Urine is sterile, and if she's sanitizing the sink after it's not a health risk. But it's still very offputting, because it's waste.

[Blackcat31]

She said that it’s just for pee, and solid waste has to be taken to a nearby bathroom. I just can’t understand how you can pour pee down a sink when a child is washing his hands in the sink right next to it. Im glad I’m not the only one! Meanwhile, I still haven’t been able to find policy that states it’s not allowed. I guess it’s something that’s so common sense that they thought it doesn’t need legislation 😂.

Where is the potty chair located?

Why can't it be dumped in the nearby bathroom since that's where solid waste goes? If there is no issue of walking it over there for that, why not just walk over there for urine too?

Sterile or not, I wouldn't be okay with it and I wouldn't do it. I'd walk it over to the nearby bathroom.

[Cat Herder]

"Bacteriuria is the presence of bacteria in urine. It is divided into two main types, those with symptoms and those without. Diagnosis is by urinalysis or urine culture. Escherichia coli is the most common bacterium found. Most people without symptoms should not be tested for the condition. Differential diagnosis include contamination. Using special techniques certain non-disease causing bacteria have also been found in the urine of healthy people. These are part of the resident microbiota."

"Escherichia coli, also known as E. coli, is a Gram-negative, facultative anaerobic, rod-shaped, coliform bacterium of the genus Escherichia that is commonly found in the lower intestine of warm-blooded organisms. Most E. coli strains are harmless, but some serotypes can cause serious food poisoning in their hosts, and are occasionally responsible for product recalls due to food contamination. The harmless strains are part of the normal microbiota of the gut, and can benefit their hosts by producing vitamin K₂, and preventing colonization of the intestine with pathogenic bacteria, having a symbiotic relationship. E. coli is expelled into the environment within fecal matter. The bacterium grows massively in fresh fecal matter under aerobic conditions for 3 days, but its numbers decline slowly afterwards."

"Infectious diseases can spread in a variety of ways: through the air, from direct or indirect contact with another person, soiled objects, skin or mucous membrane, saliva, urine, blood and body secretions and through sexual contact. Airborne droplets from nose and throat." - CDC

[Jupadia]

I was able to find some regulations for Thunder Bay which is located in Ontario. So it dose not cover all of Ontario by far but I would assume that regulations would be the same or very similar through out the province.
This is what it says;

Potty Chair Use and Procedure
The health unit strongly discourages the use of potty chairs in childcare centres. If a centre
continues to use potty chairs, a utility sink must be installed within the washroom or in a location
approved by the health unit. This location must be conveniently located to the washroom and
used so appropriate cleaning and disinfecting can be achieved. Utility sinks must be cleaned at
the end of each day as part of routine cleaning.

[Rockgirl]

I haven’t owned a potty chair in years. 1) They gross me out, and 2) It’s yet another transition the child has to make later. I prefer to just get them accustomed to a real toilet from the beginning.

I know that wasn’t answering the question...I just don’t get the appeal of using a potty chair at all.

[LysesKids]

I recall a thread about a potty training technique for infants that required providers to hold infants over the hand sinks to urinate (as demanded by parents). It was called something like "elimination communication". It was unexpectedly heated at one point. I will try to find it. ::

I remember that thread .. I specifically had it in my policies I would not be able to do EC due to health & sanitary issues.