I know this question has been done to death in various guises but please bear with me as I have a sudden deadline for tomorrow to submit a paper about our office space. - When I am calculating the numbers of people we can have on each floor using the 11 cubic metre rule, do I take out of the calucation the floor space occupied by meeting rooms, toilets and kitchens? - When looking at the numbers of toilets that we have should I be concerned that although we have enough toilets for everyone, the fact that we are a workforce dominated by women means that the split is not even and the men have many more toilets than the women? There isn't a lot we can do about it, but it would be good to have some sort of answer should I be asked. - When I give a final number of how people we can have on each floor what calculation should take precedence? The reason I ask is that in terms of our Fire Risk Assessment we have calculated no more than 240 per floor (based on low risk enviroment, 2 exits, distance to travel and width of doors). I suspect however that once I have worked out the 11 cubic metre calculation, this may allow more than 240 which, for obvious reasons I do not want to allow and I need to make this clear in my paper - fire safety must take precedence. Any help would be much appreciated, JMK

In the office I worked at we calculated the work space for both the workplace regs and the RRFSO purposes and of course complied with the lower space required. This was simply a thoretical calculation as we did not have enough people to exceeed the minimum anyway but the calculation was still done to demonstrate compliance. The workplace calculation is the first point of call and any others such as fire safety are secondary but could be more restrictive. Give them both standards.

jmk, As I understand it. for the purposes of the work place regs you would need to calculate each room individually and so meeting rooms and toilets should not factor in your calculation (in fact meeting rooms are specifically excluded in the ACOP)

We are completely open plan - the only rooms are meeting rooms. But thanks Ken, I do take your point.

I am not saying the workplace calcualtion would take precedence, just it is the first place to do the calculation. If you do not meet the workplace requirement you ar breaking the basic condition. The RRFSO calculation would bresult in a probable smaller result so atart at the base and work up. You may find that the work space you have meets both sets of legislation good luck if you do. But the minimum you must meet is the workplce regulations, anything else is secdondary ( please dont misunderstand the term secondary)

PS ignore the other rooms such as meting rooms and toilets as they are outside the measurement of room working space.

Ron, you say you use a square of 8m this is really more than the 11 cubic meters when you add the 3 meters hight so you are in fact over the legal minimum so what is your point???

I appreciate what you are saying Ron but the legal minimum must be met or you will face possible legal action. Anything that suggests doing more is very good as long as it meets the legal minimum you are on the right side of the law. Whatever one says there is a legal duty to comply with the law.

Assuming kev and I are on the same wavelength, he means square metres and not cubic metres. Just checking with my people again and figures used are actually 8.5m2 for open plan and 12m2 for cellular accom.

Err..........3.7 x 3.7 x 3 = .........just over 41 cubic metres. I think you threw in and extra 3.7 there, Bob!

Oops you are right, got carried away by using to many 3.7s. Should have been 3.7 X 3 X 1 which works out (according to my calculator) 11.1 cubic meters.