My wife and I keep a round chambered. Her Taurus Slim has a safety while neither of my pocket/carry pieces do. The triggers have an extremely long pull and are almost impossible to "accidentally" discharge - you have to work at it. The guns are also almost impossible to discharge by dropping or other mishaps due to the design which keeps the firing pin spring at very low compression until the trigger is pulled - it tensions the firing pin and activates a cam which removes the gate blocking the firing pin before finally finishing the process.
Some weapons are better off without a chambered round - my 1911 for example due to the trigger being very short pull and the fact that the hammer remains back (who wants to de-cock a .45 and pray to not slip - would fire and probably take off the thumb as the action moved back).
Leaving the round unchambered can more than double the time that it takes to get a weapon ready and in position to be useful. I would hazard the woman was playing with her weapon while she sat on the pot and the "accident" was due to her not thinking - happens to many, even so-called professionals.
1911s are designed to be carried in a condition one capacity. They are meant to be carried with one in the chamber with the hammer fully cocked.
That’s why they have the handle grips. Any good 1911 will not go off unless the gun is in the hand and the trigger is pulled.