# Why are public toilet seats always "U" shaped? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [April 5, 2013, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-public-toilet-seats-always-u-shaped/656667 "2013-04-05T20:18:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![southkcman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@southkcman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/southkcman)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-public-toilet-seats-always-u-shaped/656667/1 "2013-04-05T20:18:27Z")
I was always told that industrial toilet seats were U shaped so when the OSHA inspector stopped to get a drink, if the lid fell, it wouldn’t break his neck. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-public-toilet-seats-always-u-shaped/656667/2 "2013-04-05T22:03:11Z")
Well, consider my ignorance fought! Although comments like this one always tend to make it fight back. 😃 I take it this is the column you’re referring to? [Why are public toilet seats always “U” shaped?](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/945/why-are-public-toilet-seats-always-u-shaped) ---
**Author:** ![Old\_Blue\_Eyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e480ec/32.png) [@Old\_Blue\_Eyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Old_Blue_Eyes)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2013, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-public-toilet-seats-always-u-shaped/656667/3 "2013-04-08T17:00:43Z")
Cecil only answered half the question. How come home toilets don’t have U shaped seats? I thought U shaped seats were so if you were in a hurry and couldn’t wait, you could lift the seat WHILE peeing. ---
**Author:** ![AGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-public-toilet-seats-always-u-shaped/656667/4 "2013-04-09T20:34:53Z")
> [@](#): > > How come home toilets don’t have U shaped seats? I’d imagine it’s because people generally don’t want their bathroom to be reminiscent of a public restroom… ---
**Author:** ![steviep24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f9b8f/32.png) [@steviep24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steviep24)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2013, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-public-toilet-seats-always-u-shaped/656667/5 "2013-04-12T14:59:20Z")
Wikipedia [Cite](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toilet_seat) > [@](#): > > Open front toilet seats > > In the United States, Uniform Plumbing Code Section 409.2.2 requires an open front seat: “All water closet seats, except those within dwelling units or for private use, shall be of the open front type.” > One school of thought believes the gap in the open front reduces the amount of urine that lands on the seat if it is not lifted, as most of the urine will land in the gap. Another thought is that the gap exists so that the genitalia of one user cannot contact the seat and therefore possibly spread syphilis to a subsequent user if their genitals contact the same area.[citation needed] A third, and more progressive school of thought, concludes that the “U” Shape of public toilet seats can be attributed to ergonomical concerns of seated users. > Toilet seats found in homes and homelike settings generally have fully circular seats with no gap (closed front).[citation needed] > [edit] > > Commercial use > > In the United States and Canada, the toilet seats commonly seen in public washrooms are designed differently in order to ensure better sanitation. They are usually made with a gap in the front-center and no cover, which reduces the amount of spatter and eases the job of cleaning for janitorial staff. They can be either white or black, with frequency of one color versus the other varying by region and sometimes regulated by the jurisdiction’s laws. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2013, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-public-toilet-seats-always-u-shaped/656667/6 "2013-04-12T15:01:29Z")
I’m glad toilet seats have that cut-out thing in front. It could get messy when a woman is at a certain time of the month. (I knwo, ew.) ---
**Author:** ![SameOldStory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@SameOldStory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SameOldStory)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-public-toilet-seats-always-u-shaped/656667/7 "2013-04-25T14:54:31Z")
_“The relevant male apparatus being in the front, this makes the front of the toilet seat (particularly the underside) pretty gross — or rather, it would make it gross, if toilet-seat makers hadn’t been shrewd enough to head the problem off at the pass.”_ I have to take Cecil Adams to task on this one! The cutout in the toilet seat is an OSHA requirement! As we all know, toilet seats don’t always stay up. This causes 2 problems. When it falls a man must either quickly step back or try to stop it in mid fall. If he isn’t quick enough in either action he can risk traumatic injury! This simple modification has prevented untold hundreds of workplace injuries, and thousands of lost man hours EVERY YEAR! ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-public-toilet-seats-always-u-shaped/656667/8 "2013-04-25T23:23:16Z")
link to column: [Why are public toilet seats always “U” shaped? - The Straight Dope](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/945/why-are-public-toilet-seats-always-u-shaped) LATE EDIT: Sorry, I just realized that there was another thread on the topic, so I’ve merged the two threads. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-public-toilet-seats-always-u-shaped/656667/9 "2013-04-26T02:25:39Z")
My theory is because at certain times of the month, women are more likely to leave blood on the front of the seat. It isn’t just men who are filthy. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-public-toilet-seats-always-u-shaped/656667/10 "2013-04-26T02:32:08Z")
> [@SameOldStory](#): > > The cutout in the toilet seat is an OSHA requirement! I would have thought this was completely made up, but perhaps not. [From here](http://www.ctjsafety.com/art_misconc.htm): > [@](#): > > **Misunderstanding** : OSHA still requires the use of split toilet seats. > > **Truth** : OSHA removed that requirement back in the 1970’s. Your toilet seats can be solid front or split front. As long as they’re clean, OSHA doesn’t care about toilet seats. If that’s to be believed, maybe it did start there, and now is just continuing through inertia. ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-public-toilet-seats-always-u-shaped/656667/11 "2013-04-26T03:25:59Z")
No. In this, as in many, many other cases, OSHA merely codified existing practice. I can personally swear that split toilet seats were normal in public facilities in the 50s, and I believe they were a good deal older. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-public-toilet-seats-always-u-shaped/656667/12 "2013-04-26T03:35:13Z")
That column has always bugged me, because it never addresses the initial, and to me more interesting, question: _Why are residential toilet seats always round?_ He give some fine reasons for U shaped toilet seats in public…are men not pigs at home, too?\* \*Note from the woman who cleans the toilets at home: yes, yes they are. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-public-toilet-seats-always-u-shaped/656667/13 "2013-04-26T05:34:37Z")
> [@SameOldStory](#): > > As we all know, toilet seats don’t always stay up. This causes 2 problems. When it falls a man must either quickly step back or try to stop it in mid fall. If he isn’t quick enough in either action he can risk traumatic injury! > > This simple modification has prevented untold hundreds of workplace injuries, and thousands of lost man hours EVERY YEAR! In the interest of science, I just did an experiment. If the lid were to fall and I failed to step back, it would not hit me at all unless I stood with my legs touching the front of the bowl. Even then, it would catch me just above the knees, and just barely. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-public-toilet-seats-always-u-shaped/656667/14 "2013-04-26T11:53:02Z")
Which came first? O-shaped toilet seats or U-shaped ones? ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-public-toilet-seats-always-u-shaped/656667/15 "2013-04-26T18:16:36Z")
> [@](#): > > The original purpose for the U-shaped seat, according to Lynne Simnick, senior director of code development at IAPMO—the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials—was to aid women. Simnick explains that the open seat was designed to allow women “to wipe the perineal area after using the water closet” without contacting a seat that might be unhygienic. From [this](http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2013/04/23/toilet_seats_u_shaped_in_public_o_shaped_at_home_why_photo.html) [Slate.com](http://Slate.com) article. Sorry, Cecil. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2013, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-public-toilet-seats-always-u-shaped/656667/16 "2013-05-05T16:56:37Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > That column has always bugged me, because it never addresses the initial, and to me more interesting, question: _Why are residential toilet seats always round?_ He give some fine reasons for U shaped toilet seats in public…are men not pigs at home, too?\* > > \*Note from the woman who cleans the toilets at home: yes, yes they are. I think that’s fairly obvious - the gap makes the toilet seat structurally weaker than a fully circular one, and places extra strain on the hinge and attachment at the rear.. In a public toilet, the balance between strength and hygiene is shifted away from strength by contact with the buttocks of the general public; in a residential toilet, hygiene is less of a concern, as one’s own toilet seat may be maintained to one’s own standards (or lack thereof). That said, I’m not satisfied that the IAPMO cite given is the truth. While IAPMO was founded for the purpose of code development in 1926, there’s no evidence available to the general public that this particular standard was adopted before open-front toilet seats became common (and [patent history](http://www.google.im/patents/US1163111) suggests the opposite), and no evidence that women or wiping were in the minds of the inventors - instead, patents speak generally of hygiene (and also of “water closets”).