![]() ![]() ![]() Prior to the changes, Building Bulletin 99 set out that standard primary and middle school classrooms for 30 pupils should be around 70m2. The Department for Education (DfE) argued the reductions would result in cheaper, more efficient and sustainable outcomes. In 2012 the government announced its intention to reduce space requirements for new school buildings that being designed as part of the Priority Schools Building Programme. It could be argued, however, that this figure is a useful point of reference. These regulations apply to employees rather than pupils and unfortunately the figure of 11 cubic metres does not apply to “rooms being used for lectures, meeting and similar purposes”. TYPICAL PRESCHOOL CLARRSOM DIMENSION LENGTH BY WIDTH CODEThe Approved Code of Practice which accompanies this regulation specifies that 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. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has produced a classroom checklist, which may assist in identifying health and safety issues which could be exacerbated by classroom overcrowding.įurthermore, the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 specify in regulation 10 that: “every room where persons work shall have sufficient floor area, height and unoccupied space for the purposes of health, safety and welfare”. Should a classroom be overcrowded, safe evacuation could be impeded in the event of a fire. The employer has a duty under this legislation to undertake a risk assessment of the premises and give due consideration to fire hazards and safe evacuation. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires that “in the event of danger, it must be possible for all rooms and work stations to be evacuated quickly”. ![]() This includes assessing spaces for potential hazards such as slips, trips and falls – which would arguably be greater in crowded and confined spaces – and to take reasonably practicable steps to prevent or, where this is not possible, reduce any risks identified.Ī key risk which must be assessed is that of fire. Moreover, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 place specific legal duties on employers to carry out risk assessments for all aspects of workplace health and safety. The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 requires the employer – so far as is reasonably practicable – to maintain a place of work “in a condition that is safe and without risks to health and the provision and maintenance of means of access to and egress from it that are safe and without such risks”. ![]()
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