Tork, an Essity brand and a global leader in professional hygiene, announced that the Tork dispenser development process is the first in the world to be certified according to the Design for All standard (EN 17161).1 This approach aims to make hygiene in public spaces accessible for the majority of users. It strengthens the Tork commitment to helping businesses provide inclusive hygiene solutions in public restrooms and other public spaces.

"We are committed to making public hygiene accessible to the majority of users by working to eliminate visible and invisible barriers to hygiene," said Kristian Grennfelt, Global Brand Innovation Director, Professional Hygiene, Essity. "Restrooms are the busiest rooms in a building, and when businesses provide public restrooms designed to meet the needs of many, it not only improves their reputation but also improves their overall business. In fact, nearly 90% of people say it's important for them to have easy access to hygiene in public, particularly in the restroom.2 It's clear that providing inclusive hygiene in public restrooms is good for people and for business."

Applying design for all principles to the Tork dispenser development process helps reduce barriers to hygiene for users with a range of conditions, capabilities, neuro-diversities, general hygiene concerns and in various stages of life. For example, the Tork PeakServe® range of hand towel dispensers was designed with low pull force, accommodating people with varying hand strength, such as children, and is certified as Easy to Use 3 by the Swedish Rheumatism Association.

"Designing better products for all users - including cleaning and maintenance staff - is a long-held philosophy that has always guided our way of working," Grennfelt continued. "Design for all principles have been central to our approach for decades and we are proud to have received the first certification according to the official Design for All standard. Tork has the scale, reach, expertise and responsibility to advocate for this with other influencers."

Essity began pursuing certification according to the Design for All standard in 2020, even though no organizations were accredited to certify it at the time. Essity's commitment to obtaining Design for All certification resulted in RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, an independent state-owned research institute, becoming the first to be accredited and able to offer the certification. This is the latest step in the Tork brand's journey to advance hygiene standards, building on earlier work including developing Tork Easy Handling® packaging solutions and securing Easy to Use certification for many dispensers.

While Tork brand products are used in a range of settings, the brand has pledged support for making hygiene in public restrooms more inclusive for as many people as possible. By convening industry leaders and driving proprietary research, the brand aims to spotlight, understand, and solve the barriers that people face in public restrooms. Tork is looking closely at many elements - from hygiene concerns to an individual's evolving capabilities - to inform the design process and modify existing solutions or create new solutions that are more inclusive for all.

The Tork dispenser design and development process will be audited annually by RISE according to the Design for All standard (EN 17161:2019. Design for All - Accessibility following a Design for All approach in products, goods and services - Extending the range of users).

To learn more about the Tork brand's commitment to delivering hygiene for all and how businesses can benefit from providing better hygiene solutions, please visit: www.torkusa.com

For additional information please contact: FHTork@fleishman.com

1Standard EN17161. The Design for All is a development process that considers diverse user needs to encourage and promote accessibility of products and services by as many people as possible.

2 Tork Insight Survey 2024, conducted in US, UK, Germany, France and Mexico among 6000 end-users and 900 businesses.

3 Tork has a range of dispensers that are certified "Easy to use" by the Swedish Rheumatism Association for people with limited hand functionality.