REFERENCE SECTION .....
Whilst FSL will ensure that your project is fully compliant with these regulations and guidelines, the following section has been provided to give you a permanent reference on matters relating to workplace development, regulations and improvement. Again – our Facilities Management service can take away much of these responsibilities – but we thought you would find them useful.
Index
(i) Sound ratings in building
(ii) Lighting Maintenance
(iii) Lamp Recycling
(iv) Emergency Lighting
(v) Access and use of buildings
Sound ratings in buildings – the Sound Reduction Index (Rw)
The Sound Reduction Index SRI (Rw) is calculated under laboratory conditions according to the internationally recognised BS 5821 Part One. The following figures are approximate and for use as a general guide only. Sound ratings can vary due to on-site and installation conditions.
Flooring |
|
Lightweight concrete block & beam
Concrete slab (150mm thick)
Concrete slab (150mm thick) with insulation quilt in cavity |
40 Rw(dB)
50 Rw(dB)
52 Rw(dB) |
Solid Walls |
|
Brickwork plastered both sides (125mm thick)
Brickwork plastered both sides (230mm thick)
Timber stud with 12.5mm plasterboard both sides
Timber stud with 12.5mm plasterboards & quilt in cavity |
42 Rw(dB)
52 Rw(dB)
33 Rw(dB)
36 Rw(dB) |
Partitions |
|
50mm Steel stud with 12.5mm plasterboard both sides
50mm Steel stud with 12,5mm plasterboard & quilt in cavity
Frameless 10mm single glazed
Frameless 12mm single glazed
Frameless 12mm single glazed fully sealed
Frameless double glazed using 10mm glass
Frameless double glazed using 12mm + 12mm glass |
34 Rw(dB)
40 Rw(dB)
30 Rw(dB)
32 Rw(dB)
35 Rw(dB)
47 Rw(dB)
49 Rw(dB) |
Internal Doors |
|
Hollow core timber faced door
Solid core timber faced door with foam seals
|
15 Rw(dB)
26 Rw(dB) |
Speech |
|
Normal speech readily audible
Loud speech readily & clearly audible
Loud speech with normal background levels
Loud speech audible but not easily distinguishable
Loud speech just audible but not easily distinguishable
Loud speech barely audible but not distinguishable
Raised speech or shouting faintly audible but indistinguishable |
20 Rw(dB)
25 Rw(dB)
30 Rw(dB)
35 Rw(dB)
40 Rw(dB)
45 Rw(dB)
50 Rw(dB) |
Lighting maintenance
Working in a poorly lit office has a negative effect on staff morale, so it is very important to have the correct levels of lighting – especially when working with VDU’s. It is also important to keep to a regular routine of lamp testing and replacement to ensure your premises conform to current Health & Safety legislation. New European legislation will insist, through a range of directives, on the professional disposal and recycling of lamps containing mercury. In addition, your emergency lighting systems, which are subject to even stricter controls, must be regularly monitored.
Lamp Recycling
Within the next few years, the Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE) will be fully implemented throughout the European Union, bringing even more stringent requirements.
There will be two main obligations of the WEEE in regard to lamp disposal:
• to ensure dangerous substances such as mercury are disposed of responsibly
• to encourage component recycling used in the manufacture of lamps
The WEEE will require facilities & premises managers to ensure all discharge lamps are handled in accordance with the directive.
Emergency lighting
Of all current Health & Safety legislation in relation to buildings, emergency lighting is probably one of the most important. Facilities and premises managers can face stiff penalties under Health & Safety regulations if appropriate action is not taken to maintain a reliable and effective emergency lighting system.
Emergency lighting plays two critical roles:
• to help identify emergency exits when the building has to be evacuated
• to assist people getting to those exits safely if the general lighting fails
Most of the time emergency lighting is not used, however, it is essential (by law) that the system is regularly tested and maintained and to ensure lamp fittings are designed and manufactured to a high standard.
To assist facilities and premises managers, the Industry Committee for Emergency Lighting (ICEL) has devised a scheme to provide independent certification of every aspect of emergency luminaries. Only if the product complies with all of the Committee’s criteria can it carry the ICEL mark. However, once the ICEL approved luminaries have been installed, they must still be regularly tested and maintained.
Access and use of Buildings (Doc M)
One of the key elements in meeting the various forms of building legislation and standards in force today is the provision of safe and effective access to buildings. Creating an accessible entrance from the street is only the beginning of the task.
From 1st October 2004, it became necessary to remove physical barriers that prevent people with disabilities from using a service. They should be able to move freely and conveniently throughout the entire building.
This means that doorways between rooms, those leading to corridors and into toilets and lift area can be negotiated with ease, and central to providing such freedom of movement is the provision of correctly identified door types.
The aim is for all people to have access to, and the use of, all the facilities provided within buildings, including tea points, toilets and conference facilities.
Download Diagram 1.pdf
Download Diagram 2.pdf
Download Diagram 3.pdf
|
