Clarebabes

Hi, question for H&S experts please. I've searched the HSE website and it says that each employee should have 11 cu metres of space as their own in an office, excluding furniture.

So, the question is, how do you realistically measure it? As it doesn't include furniture, is it safe to assume the whole desk area is excluded from the cu metreage?

Also, is the provision of toilets a major breach of H&S rules, or is it a case of blind eye being turned due to hassle?

If anyone can shed some light, please help.....

TIA
Clare

john_s

iTrader: (1)

Never really looked into the office space as a cubic meterage issue, but I'd imagine it would be based on area of floor space multiplied by height to ceiling.

WRT toilets... failure to provide adequate toilet and welfare facilities is a major breach or H&S law.

It's hard to say more without more information. (Feel free to PM if you want to keep it off board.)

John.

Clarebabes

Thanks John,

You have PM.

Cheers
Clare

speedking

HSE website. The question of reasonableness will always arise.

simo

got you peeing in the company bucket again then Clare

scooby595

if you have any complaints to make, then put it in as ALL complaints rec'd by HSE are investigated, whether it be anonymous or not. If it's just a general enquiry find the number of your local HSE office and they'll be more than pleased to tell you.

Minimum is 12sq foot !!

hope this helps.

paulr

I'd say that too,not 100% though,and i'd assume that a desk is included as furniture.

As for provision of toilets,i assume you mean non provision, then thats a breach of H+S rules.1-5 people you need one toilet and one handbasin.There is also a provision regarding providing an eating area and a means of heating food.

The minimum working temperature for an office (something else often asked)is 16 degrees over a 2 hour period.There is no minimum temp for working in a warehouse.

oobster

Clare

Just dug out my copy of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992.... which state-

Regulation 20 'Sanitary conveniences'
(1) Suitable and sufficient sanitary conveniences shall be provided at readily accessible places.
(2) Without prejudice to the generality of paragraph (1), sanitary conveniences shall not be suitable unless:
(a) the rooms containing them are adequately ventilated and lit
(b) they and the rooms containing them are kept in a clean and orderly condition; and
(c) seperate rooms containing conveniences are provided for men and women except where and so far as each convenience is in a separate room the door of which is capable of being secured from inside.

(3) It shall be sufficient compliance the the requirement in paragraph (1) to provide sufficient sanitary conveniences in a workplace which is not a new workplace, a modification, an extension or a conversion and which immediately before this regulation came into force in respect of it, was subject to the provisions of the Factories Act 1961, if sanitary conveniences are provided in accordance with the provisions of Part II of Schedule 1.

paulr

No awards for plain english there then.

oobster

Also - the number of 'water closets' -

Number of people at work = 1 to 5. Closets = 1
Number of people at work = 6 to 25. Closets = 2
Number of people at work = 26 to 50. Closets = 3
Number of people at work = 51 to 75. Closets = 4
Number of people at work = 76 to 100. Closets = 5

The number of people at work figure is described as 'the maximum number likely to be in the workplace at any one time'

Hope all this helps, i can fax you the pages from the 'Workplace Regs' (as they are known) through to you if you want.

scooby595

12 sq ft workspace includes furniture.

oobster

Regulation 10 of the workplace regs:

The total volume of the room, when empty, divided by the number of people normally working in it should be at least 11 cubic meters. In making this calculation a room or part of a room which is more than 3.0 high should be counted as 3.0 high. The figure of 11 cubic meters per person is a minimum and may be insufficient if, for example, much of the room is taken up by furniture etc.

The figure of 11 cubic meters does not apply to:
(a) retail sales kiosks, attendants shelters, machine control cabs or similar small structures, where space is neccessarily limited; or
(b) rooms being used for lectures, meetings and similar purposes.

The above text is taken from the Welfare Regs' ACOP - Approved Codes of Practice.

In fact, i have a copy of the entire Workplace Regs document which i could send to you if you really need it. (i.e save my fingers typing it all out!)