Working environment

Sufficient lighting must be provided, whether it is from a natural or artificial source, to allow safe movement around the workplace and to allow workers to perform their job without having to adopt awkward postures or strain their eyes to see.

Table 1: Recommended illumination levels (AS/NZS 1680.1: 2006 – Interior workplace lighting)

Noise is often described as any disturbing sound.  Sources of noise may include:

• office equipment (eg., telephones, printers, photocopiers)
• people (i.e., conversations)
• background noise (eg., lifts, air conditioning, traffic).

Most noise levels in the office areas are below levels known to result in risk to hearing, however, they can be distracting to concentration and / or affect communication.

Hints for controlling office noise

• Isolate noisy equipment such as printers or photocopiers by positioning them in separate rooms, or by fitting screens.
• Use sound absorbing materials for internal walls and partitions, window glazing if external traffic.
• Select equipment with lowest noise specifications.
• Lower the ring volume setting on a telephones.
• Establish local area guidelines ie. areas to have conversations.
• The Health and Safety Unit can perform noise measurement assessments.

Work should be carried out in an environment where a temperature range is comfortable for workers and suits the work they carry out. Air temperatures that are too high or too low can contribute to fatigue and heat or cold related illnesses. Thermal comfort is affected by many factors, including air temperature, air movement, floor temperature, humidity, clothing, the amount of physical exertion, average temperature of the surroundings and sun penetration.

Optimum comfort for sedentary work is between 20 and 26 degrees Celsius, depending on the time of year and clothing worn. Workers involved in physical exertion usually prefer a lower temperature range. The means of maintaining a comfortable temperature will depend on the working environment and the weather, and could include any of the following:

• air-conditioning
• fans
• electric heating
• open windows
• building insulation
• the layout of workstations
• direct sunlight control
• controlling air flow and the source of drafts.

Workplaces should be adequately ventilated. Fresh, clean air should be drawn from outside the workplace, uncontaminated by discharge from flues or other outlets, and be circulated through the workplace.

Workplaces inside buildings may have natural ventilation, mechanical ventilation (fans or extraction units) or air-conditioning. An air-conditioning system should:

• provide a comfortable environment in relation to air temperature, humidity and air movement
• prevent the excessive accumulation of odours
• reduce the levels of respiratory by-products, especially carbon dioxide, and other indoor contaminants that may arise from work activities
• supply an amount of fresh air to the workplace, exhaust some of the stale air as well as filter and recirculate some of the indoor air.

Natural ventilation should consist of permanent openings, including windows and doors, that:

• in total are the size of at least five per cent of the floor area of the room
• are open to the sky, an open covered area or an appropriately ventilated adjoining room.

Natural ventilation may be assisted by mechanical ventilation.

Enclosed workplaces should be supplied with comfortable rates of air movement (usually between 0.1 m and 0.2 m per second).