Guidelines for office layout

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The following guidelines must be taken into consideration in the design of office accommodation. Particular attention must be given to the design of work areas which are to incorporate Screen Based Equipment (SBE). Such work stations have the potential to cause or aggravate Occupational Overuse Syndrome (OOS) if they are not designed correctly.

Furniture location

In order to determine the best location for furniture in an office it is necessary to specify the tasks which are carried out in the office and analyse the usual flow of traffic which is associated with those tasks. In this context 'traffic' refers to both foot traffic in the area and to the movements associated with performing those tasks at individual workstations - for instance, clerical work, word processing, typing, answering the telephone or responding to people presenting themselves at a counter.

Consideration should also be given to reflections and glare from work surfaces or VDU screens. Wherever possible furniture should be arranged in order to eliminate reflections and avoid contrast of illuminance on screens. Screens should be located such that the face of the screen is at 90° to the window (see antiglare section).

Equipment layout

The optimum location of equipment on the work surface is determined by the tasks performed, their frequency and duration, equipment used, space allowances and acceptable reach limits. Reach limits as described in the diagram below are the distances on the work surface that you position the items you use. Generally the items most frequently handled should be within easy reach and less frequently used equipment and materials should be placed within the distance reached by the outstretched arm.

In order to reach objects located beyond maximum reach, the worker should stand and move to a position within easy reach of the object rather than overstretch.

Space per person

Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare Regulations 1995 - Regulation 2.3.4 Space per person
 
2.3.4 (1) The purpose of this regulation is-

 
(a) to prescribe minimum space requirements to allow a person who works in
a building to perform his or her work in a safe manner; and
 
(b) to prevent overcrowding in workplaces within buildings.

 
(2) In this regulation-

"working space" means a floor area, excluding any area taken up by furniture,
fittings or equipment, that is kept available for the person's use and that
comprises the place where the person must stand or sit plus the area that is
immediately adjacent to that place.

(3) If a person performs work within a building, the person must have adequate
working space to carry out the work in a safe manner.
 
(4) Without limiting the operation of subregulation (3), if the main part of
the person's work is performed at a work station and the person is required to
stand or sit in the same place at that work station for a substantial period
of time, then-

(a) if the work is carried out at a desk (other than a desk situated in a
cashier's booth or compartment)-a minimum of three square metres of
working space must be provided; and
 
(b) in any other case-adequate working space must be determined taking
into consideration-

 
(i) the type of work area; and
 
(ii) the physical actions required to perform the task; and
 
(iii) the mobility requirements of the work performed; and
 
(iv) other ergonomic factors which could affect performance of the
task in a safe manner.

(5) The distance from the floor to a ceiling of a room where
a person works on a regular basis must be at least 2.4 metres.
 
(6) Persons at work must not be so grouped in a building as to cause a risk to
their health, safety or welfare.
 
(7) A workplace within a building must not become so crowded as to cause a
risk to the safety of a person within the building.

For additional information see:
http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/sa/consol_reg/ohsawr1995445/s2.3.4.html

Aisles and clearances

Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare Regulations 1995 - Regulation 2.1.1 (3)

A passage or other space used for normal movement about the workplace or intended for emergency egress must be kept free of any obstruction that could hinder or prevent the safe and rapid egress of a person in an emergency and if work must occur in the passage or space, the space for egress must be at least 600 mm wide.

For additional information see:

http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/sa/consol_reg/ohsawr1995445/s2.1.1.html

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Last revised: 28 February 2002