LRD guides and handbook October 2021

Health and Safety Law 2021

Chapter 6

Space

[ch 6: page 117]

Every workroom should have sufficient floor area, height and unoccupied space (Regulation 10). The ACOP says that, as a minimum, 11 cubic metres should be allowed per person working in a room, discounting any room height over three metres. HSE guidance says that the number of people who can work in any room at the same time will depend on the size of the room, the space taken up by furniture, fittings and equipment, and the layout of the room. This means 11 cubic metres may not be sufficient if the room is crowded with equipment or furniture. The guidance suggests that in a typical room with a ceiling height of 2.4 metres, a floor area of 4.6 square metres per person is needed. Where the ceiling is three metres high or more, the minimum floor area will be 3.7 square metres.