A healthy and pleasant workplace

A healthy and pleasant workplace

• Daylight, view and lighting

  Daylight

  The most important characteristics of daylight are the continuous variation in intensity, direction and color. This variation controls the biological clock of people. The biorhythm controls important life processes, such as hormone balance, moods, alertness and body temperature. Daylight is therefore essential for the proper functioning of humans. That is why there must be daylight admission at your workplace. Daylight may also enter indirectly if your workplace is located next to a room where direct daylight does enter.

  View

  Most people consider a good view important. A poor view or little view can cause dissatisfaction. In addition, a view of the surroundings invites (unconscious) ‘eye gymnastics’. The eye muscles only relax when looking far away. Especially with strenuous visual tasks such as screen work and reading papers, looking away into the ‘infinite’ can be very relaxing and stimulating. Good vision means having a view of greenery, the sky and more distant objects from the workplace in addition to the surroundings.

  Tips

  It is recommended that workspaces where employees work more than two hours a day are located directly next to windows (preferably not on atria or conservatories).

  Use work areas without daylight and views as much as possible for meetings or storage. If work does need to be done in these spaces, limit it to no more than 2 hours per day and/or designate the space as a quiet and changing work area.

  Lighting

  If the lighting in your work environment is inadequate or distracting, it can make your eyes tired. With good light sources and blinds, you can prevent lights or the sun from reflecting on your monitor. Blinds should be adjustable - depending on the light intensity.

• Noise

  In offices, workgroup rooms and lecture halls, harmful noise (above 80 dB) rarely occurs. However, noise in the workplace can be a nuisance. What employees experience as a nuisance is subjective.

  Depending on the causes or sources of noise, organisational or technical improvements can be implemented in existing situations.

• Office spaces and dimensions

  What is the minimum amount of space we need to work comfortably and healthily? Office space standards specify some minimum areas (functional work surface) per employee. NEN standard 1824:2010 describes a basic workstation with allowances for cabinets, consultation space and so on. Workplaces in group offices or alternating workplaces (more than 2 hours per day or more than 1 day per week) must comply with the same dimensions.

  To determine the minimum floor area required for office work, the number of workstations is considered, including the walking routes in the room.

  For a basic workplace - consisting of an office chair, a work table, a storage space under the work table, a standing cabinet and a screen arrangement - a functional work surface of at least 7 m2 must be available. This is calculated as follows: employee 4 m2 + reading and writing space 1 m2 + drawer cabinet 1 m2 + flat screen 1 m2 = 7 m2.

  For other furniture and equipment (filing cabinets, printer etc.), the minimum area required depends on the space they occupy, and the space needed to use that furniture or equipment.

• Indoor climate

  Indoor climate is a broad concept. It refers to temperature (cold, warm), air velocity (draughts) and air quality (stale, contaminants), among other things. A good indoor climate has a positive effect on productivity. At every workplace, it is therefore important to replace consumed air with fresh air. The extent to which indoor climate can be controlled depends on the building and the capabilities of the climate control technology available in the building.

  See Binnenklimaat in gebouwen - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (in Dutch) for extensive information and tips regarding indoor climate.

• Working safely with laser printers and copiers

  Arbo & Milieu regularly receives questions about possible health effects and complaints resulting from laser printers and (network or multifunctional) copiers in the workplace.

  See Working safely with printers/copiers - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam for more information about working safely with printers/copiers.

• Arbowet (Occupational Health and Safety Act)

  The Arbowet (Occupational Health and Safety Act) provides a general framework for employers and employees to promote the health and safety of employees. The Arbobesluit (Working Conditions Decree) is an elaboration of the Arbowet. It contains the rules that both employer and employee must adhere to in order to prevent occupational risks. Below is an overview with links to the relevant articles in the Arbowet and the Arbobesluit per occupational risk (in Dutch).

  Arbowet: Artikel 3 Arbeidsomstandighedenwet

  Daylight, view and lighting

  Arbobesluit: Artikel 6.3 Arbeidsomstandighedenbesluit and Artikel 6.4 Arbeidsomstandighedenbesluit
  More information: www.arboportaal.nl/vragen/daglicht-of-kunstlicht.html

  Noise

  Arbobesluit: Artikel 6.8 Arbeidsomstandighedenbesluit
  More information: https://www.arboportaal.nl/onderwerpen/geluid

  Office spaces and dimensions

  Arbobesluit: Artikel 3.19 Arbeidsomstandighedenbesluit
  More information: https://www.arboportaal.nl/onderwerpen/arbeidsplaatsen/kantoorwerkplekken

  Indoor climate

  Arbobesluit: Artikel 6.1 Arbeidsomstandighedenbesluit en
  Artikel 6.2 Arbeidsomstandighedenbesluit
  More information: https://www.arboportaal.nl/onderwerpen/luchtverversing en https://www.arboportaal.nl/onderwerpen/tocht en https://www.arboportaal.nl/documenten/vragen-en-antwoorden/wat-is-te-warm.

  Working safely with laser printers and copiers

  Arbobesluit: Artikel 6.2 Arbeidsomstandighedenbesluit

  More information: Luchtverversing | Arboportaal

Maybe you are also looking for this?