Desk Space

Bill Scholes - Workplace Law Network
Online advisor - 15 posts

The Approved Code of Practice associated with the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 suggests that each employee (in an office environment) should have at least 11 cubic metres (up to a maximum ceiling height of 3 metres). This figure, however, is for unoccupied space and so does not take into account the furniture and equipment. As you can probably visualise, 11 cubic metres does not represent a very large floor area, typically an area of about 2.5 m x 2.5m.

Other regulations apply, e.g. Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 which requires that ?the workstation shall be dimensioned and designed so as to provide sufficient space for the operator or user to change position and vary movements.? You will also need to leave sufficient space between desks to allow for safe access and egress especially in the event of emergencies. BS5588 - 11:1997 suggests a gap of 600mm for less than ten people easily able to move, and 900 for a wheelchair user.

For your 10 staff therefore you will probably need 50 - 60 square metres depending on the layout and the factors mentioned above.

Susan Elsdon
Member - 1 post

When designing your floor space you also need to take into consideration the usage of the area. If the space you require is for tele sales people you would probably want to create a different environment to say one which is mainly for processing functions. Sales people tend to be more upbeat and animated when on the phones so you need to be aware of noise and so install smaller clusters of desks and if possible a larger space between banks of desks. With a processing function you can increase the size of the banks of desks and vocal noise would not be as much of an issue. If you would like to discuss it further please feel free to contact me on selsdo2@hallmark.com.

Good Luck.

Anonymous

It could be that your organisation should seriously consider new ways of working that could free up some existing office space, thus eliminating the need for an overspill office. http://www.flexibility.com has plenty of useful info with documents that can be downloaded.

Mark Eltringham
Member - 5 posts

The problem with the regulations cited is that they were drawn up a long time ago and have failed to keep pace with a lot of developments in the market. The most notable one isn't new ways of working at all, but the use of portable computers and flat screens for PCs. This subject has commanded far less media attention than flexible working, but has had a far more profound effect on office design - I would say it is the single most significant factor in office design since the PC became commonplace. The most obvious point is that workstations are now commonly a lot smaller than they were ten years ago because the laptops/ monitors take up less space than cathode ray tube monitors and change the way people interact with the computer. Typically a switch to flat screens and planning in straight lines rather than into corner workstations as you would typically with a CRT screen, would yield a space saving of around 20 - 25%.

The 1992 legislation still applies of course, and factors such as the ideal viewing distance between the person and the screen is the same, but the new technology means the shape and size of the workstation need not (and probably should not) be the same as it was when the regs were drawn up. This can dramatically affect office space densities and also significantly affects building performance with regards to heating and ventilation - a CRT screen uses around three times more energy than a TFT screen and emits a lot more heat for example.

It's worthwhile geting some proper advice on all of this and I would suggest that any decent sized project would benefit from working with a specialist workplace designer. If anybody wants to contact me at markeltringham@frontmarketing.co.uk I can (impartially) suggest local businesses throughout the UK they may want to work with.

I'd also suggest that anybody looking at flexible working needs to be aware of the failures as well as the successes in this area. There have been many of both.

David Norris
Member - 1 post

Hi all, great information. Can any one help... if 2 people are comfortable to sit at the same desk (long desk) using laptops, are they able to make that choice or does the act require an employer to monitor usage and ensure that the minimums are available and also utilised???