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Articles by the Medical Officer of Health:—
ROYAL INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND HYGIENE JOURNAL VOL. 30 No. 3
THE OFFICES, SHOPS AND RAILWAY PREMISES ACT, 1963
by
W.G. SWANN, M.D., D.P.H., D.P.A. (Medical Officer of Health, Port and City of London)
Fourteen years after the publication of the Gower Report the Offices, Shops and Railway
Premises Act, 1963 was given Royal Assent. It amends the Factories Act 1961 (1) and repeals
the Offices Act, 1960 (2). The enforcement of the Act is divided between Local Authorities, Fire
Authorities, H.M. Inspector of Factories, H.M. Inspector of Mines and Quarries and the Overseers
of the Middle and Inner Temples.
The Act sets standards for the safety, health and welfare of probably eight million employees
in more than a million premises; approximately more than four times the premises covered by the
Factories Acts.
The following is a brief summary of the sections of the Act apart from registration dealt with
by a Local Authority.
PART I
Office Environment
The factors associated with the physical environment in offices include: Space, lighting,
heating, ventilation, cleanliness and seating. The act deals with each as a separate entity and
lays down the following standards:
1. Space. A minimum floor area of 40 sq. ft/person (or 400 cu. ft/person if the ceiling height is
below 10 ft.) no allowance being made for furniture, fittings etc. (3). Also, within the above
standards no room shall be so overcrowded as to cause risk of injury to the health of persons
working therein. But in determining whether or not any room is so overcrowded regard shall be
taken as to numbers of persons working in the room and the space taken by such things as furniture
and fittings.
2. Lighting. Effective provision shall be made to secure sufficient and suitable lighting whether
natural or artificial. General lighting by natural means for offices is on occasion inadequate in
Britain, so that artificial means must be used. The standards required in various countries differ,
ranging from 12-150 lumens/sq. ft. (4). In the United States of America where the lighting standards
are based on the analyses of the process of vision, suggested intensities are 100-150 lumens/sq.
ft. (5). Comparable figures in the United Kingdom are from 30-45 lumens/sq. ft. for similar tasks
(based on a figure of 90-100 per cent visual efficiency). Research has shown that people feel
most comfortable with a lighting intensity of 100-150 lumens/sq. ft. (In the City of London, Health
Inspectors are recommending a standard for general office work of 60 lumens/sq. ft.).
3. Heating. The legal requirement of a temperature of not less than 60.8° F within one hour of
commencement of work (with certain exceptions) (7) has been regarded as a major advancement
in office standards. At present it would seem that it is more difficult in new office blocks to
keep summer temperatures down to an acceptable maximum.
4. Ventilation. Every room shall have provision so as to be ventilated by the circulation of
adequate supplies of fresh or artifically purified air. This in normal circumstances can be provided
by the use of a window which opens. Complications may arise, when, because of traffic
noise, or dust, the window will be closed. Thereafter some form of air conditioning becomes
necessary. It is interesting to note that more and more office blocks are being designed with an
integral air conditioning system to give more acceptable working conditions.
5. Cleanliness. The premises and all furniture, furnishings and fittings shall be kept clean and
floors and steps must be washed effectively at least once weekly or they may be swept if this is
as effective. In practice due to the problems of staff most occupiers contract with a cleaning
company or leave the responsibility to their landlords. Up to the present time little difficulty
has been experienced in enforcing this section.
PART II
Facilities.
1. Sanitary Accommodation. The Sanitary Conveniences Regulations, 1964 S.I. 1964 No. 966.
These might be said to parallel in some ways legislation found under the Factories Acts since
1938 (8) but is of a higher numerical standard requiring in the first instance one water closet
per 15 persons (of the same sex) (9) and continuing further up a scale in similar fashion. Here it
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