Hi all,

An office at work has requested an additional row of hotdesks, just four more computers in a medium sized office, I have done an initial assessment and found there to be sufficient room if the row of filing cabinets inbetween the existing desks is moved into the wide corridor adjacent to the office, the corridor is plenty wide enough even if the cabinets were there.

Currently the office is: [PC]<  :filing cabinet:  >[PC] [PC]<

[PC]<  :filing cabinet:  >[PC] [PC]<

[PC]<  :filing cabinet:  >[PC] [PC]<

And I'm proposing changing it to:

   >[PC] [PC]<       >[PC] [PC]<

   >[PC] [PC]<       >[PC] [PC]<

   >[PC] [PC]<       >[PC] [PC]<   

:Filing cabinets:

(Not sure if this crude textual diagram is clear or not?!)

However I was in the purchasing stage for the desks (need is proven, IT have the assets to go in the area readily available the only thing missing is the desks) when someone raised that there might not be enough room behind people between desk and wall to meet guidelines.

I've looked through the various Guideance notes; HSG57, Office Health and Safety, DSE Checklist etc.

and the only thing with any defined measure (That I've found) is the 'How much space am I entitled to' document which says;

"The total volume of the room, when empty, divided by the number of people normally working in it should be at least 11 cubic metres. In making this calculation a room or part of a room which is more than 3.0m high should be counted as 3.0m high. The figure of 11 cubic metres 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 metres does not apply to:

1. retail sales kiosks, attendants' shelters, machine control cabs or similar small structures, where space is necessarily limited; or
2. rooms being used for lectures, meetings and similar purposes.

In a typical room, where the ceiling is 2.4m high, a floor area of 4.6m2 (for example 2.0 x 2.3m) will be needed to provide a space of 11 cubic metres. Where the ceiling is 3.0m high or higher the minimum floor area will be 3.7m2(for example 2.0 x 1.85m). (These floor areas are only for illustrative purposes and are approximate)." http://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/faqs/roomspace.htm

Is there any clearer guideance, or specific measurements for space behind someones chair? I think as they are hot desks particularly that there shouldn't be any problem with the space available being utilised.

Help/advice/signposting etc. appreciated.

Originally Posted by: Ian Bell2

Point taken about your diagram.

This type of forum is so out of date. It should be possible to upload pics/pdf files - anything. Just look at that well known social media platform.

I don't like that I can't seem to be able to delete or even edit posts I make?! am I missing something?

When you are logged in outside the actual post area are the delete and edit buttons (top right).

I nearly follow your "sketch" but  it has only added 3 rather than four (top count 9 bottom count 12)

Couple of questions:

1) are any users (current or potential) disabled/wheel chair users?

2) from the end of one of these aisles what is the travel distance to the usable (not nearest as it may be blocked) emergency exit

Now this is purely a personal view point - 1.5m between chairs when the occupants are standing at their desk and have pushed the chair back to stand:

1) It ensures a clear access/egress with space to push abandoned chairs diagonally out of the way

2) It permits "personal space" - get users too close and you end up with the antagonism that when one goes to stand up they invade the others space (think of a crowded restaraunt)

3) typically there will be a supervisor/manager working between the desks - I do not wish to have their backside behind my head when they are dealing with a colleague.

Conversley think about purpose - if these are true "hot" desks then there do not need to be two standard desks side by side but maybe a single shareable with an off-set scallop to either side for the user or a single standard width with a divider down the middle?

Edited by user 30 April 2019 19:21:19(UTC)  | Reason: button location

The British Council for Offices has some ideas about office space- https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/Journals/2013/09/10/c/y/n/BCO-Occupier-Density-Study---Final-report-2013.pdf

Welfare Regs - 11m3 per person for desk space?