BERMUDA'S airport has become one of the first in the world to install child safety seats in its bathrooms.

"The Bermuda International Airport is the first international airport in the world to introduce PottyPal, a hidden-in-the-lid, child-size safe and convenient toilet seat, in some of its public areas, as a part of its ongoing commitment to improving customer service to its customers," airport terminal supervisor Thomas Dunstan said yesterday. "The airport hopes to maintain its reputation as the 'number one airport' on the east coast."

For the second year in a row, Bermuda International Airport was honoured with the prestigious International Air Transport Association (IATA) first place award for Best Airport in North America for overall passenger satisfaction. The IATA is an industry organisation that represents all major air carriers worldwide.

The special Pottypal toilet seat was brought to the attention of the airport by Jenefer Brimmer, president and chief executive officer of Thermax Bermuda and the Asthma and Allergy Relief Centre which brings the toilet seats in to sell. "We do allergy-related equipment and we specialise in the indoor environment," Ms Brimmer said.

"This toilet seat is an environmental piece of equipment. Children don't feel safe using regular toilets. The PottyPal toilet seat helps to maintain a safe environment for the child. When children go to the bathroom they are sometimes scared of the grown-up toilet. And last year in the United States there were 4,000 toilet accidents with children."

Ms Brimmer and her company approached the airport because she felt that every public area that services the community should have child toilet seats available. "The airport didn't have any hesitation. When they saw it they loved the idea."