Rank: New forum user 
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Hi Could anyone please direct me to any guidance to the size of canteen reqd for a given headcount of work force using it. Reason I ask is moving to a new premises and need to assess the size it has because the workforce will increase. I know there is guidance on toilets in the building reg's but I can't find any on canteens. Thanks.
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Rank: Super forum user 
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That's because there is no requirement to provide a canteen at all.
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 3 users thanked Kate for this useful post.
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Whilst there is discussion of "places to eat" in The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 Article 25 does not give any specifics about persons per unit floor area or similar to your request.
Facilities for rest and to eat meals
25.—(1) Suitable and sufficient rest facilities shall be provided at readily accessible places. (2) Rest facilities provided by virtue of paragraph (1) shall— (a) where necessary for reasons of health or safety include, in the case of a new workplace, an extension or a conversion, rest facilities provided in one or more rest rooms, or, in other cases, in rest rooms or rest areas;
(b) include suitable facilities to eat meals where food eaten in the workplace would otherwise be likely to become contaminated.
In places where I have experienced "canteens" they typically look to the number of potential users at a given time - many having a shift workforce or day staff on staggered lunch breaks have seating provision at these numbers.
It is one of the issues already seemingly forgotten that for example when you have a new policy requiring 2m separation as under Covid then a table for 6 suddenly reduces to 2 or fewer if closely spaced.
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4 users thanked Roundtuit for this useful post.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Whilst there is discussion of "places to eat" in The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 Article 25 does not give any specifics about persons per unit floor area or similar to your request.
Facilities for rest and to eat meals
25.—(1) Suitable and sufficient rest facilities shall be provided at readily accessible places. (2) Rest facilities provided by virtue of paragraph (1) shall— (a) where necessary for reasons of health or safety include, in the case of a new workplace, an extension or a conversion, rest facilities provided in one or more rest rooms, or, in other cases, in rest rooms or rest areas;
(b) include suitable facilities to eat meals where food eaten in the workplace would otherwise be likely to become contaminated.
In places where I have experienced "canteens" they typically look to the number of potential users at a given time - many having a shift workforce or day staff on staggered lunch breaks have seating provision at these numbers.
It is one of the issues already seemingly forgotten that for example when you have a new policy requiring 2m separation as under Covid then a table for 6 suddenly reduces to 2 or fewer if closely spaced.
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4 users thanked Roundtuit for this useful post.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Good advice from Kate and Round. When looking at areas like this i sometimes find thinking about occupation from a fire evacuation point of view can help. I have found this document from Cornwall (i suspect all Fire Authorities have similar this was just easy to find) useful Calculating Occupancy Figures for Licensed Premises (businessregulatorysupport.co.uk) it 1 sq M for each occupant. Obvioulsy you then have to make sure you have the exits etc and that the dinning tablkes dont take up all the space. Not a simple number answer im afraid but hope it helps.
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1 user thanked HSSnail for this useful post.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Hi Dave Good advice already given. My guess is that the vast majority of workplaces do not have a canteen/ Modern offices tend to come with "break out" areas that might have tea and coffee making facililies and may be a vending machine selling (usually unhealthy) snacks but not much more. In the UK, the "canteen" is something from the days when you might have 1000 people all working together in the same factory, and particularly if it was in some industrial estate with little in the way of shops in the vicinity - though sometimes with the odd entrepreneur parking up their burger van.
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