What should you bear in mind when complying with ASR?

What are ASRs?

ASR stands for workplace guidelines and deals with safety in the workplace. They were established by the Workplace Committee and provide companies with clear guidelines for designing the workplace to make it as safe as possible. A workplace includes all locations that employees use during their working hours. This also includes break rooms and sanitary facilities.

The ASR deal with the setup and operation of workplaces, set out special requirements for the operation of workplaces, and address the protection of non-smokers and the safe design of workrooms, sanitary facilities, Break rooms, standby rooms, and first-aid rooms.

Among other things, the following factors are examined:

• Are all distance rules observed?
• Is there sufficient free space?
• How many offices are allowed to be accommodated?
• Are the minimum room sizes being observed?
• Are fire safety regulations being observed?
• Is there sufficient lighting and daylight?
• Are the meeting rooms large enough?

How large must an office space be?

The ASR provide precise information on how large an office space must be and how much space is required per employee. Not only is the area of the workstation taken into account, but also the space required for movement. Furthermore, it should be ensured that every employee has enough space to move their chair, open the window, or operate the heating. This means that every employee should have at least 1.5 m² of space at their workplace to move around freely.

The following guidelines can be used as a reference to ensure that every employee has sufficient space:

• The minimum space for a cubicle office with 1 to 2 people is 8 to 10 m².
• The minimum space for a group office with 3 people is 10–12 m² per workstation.
• The minimum space for an open-plan office is 12 to 15 square meters per workstation

What room conditions should be met?

The ASR not only specify regulations for the size of a room, but also define the room height and the characteristics of floors, walls, ceilings, roofs, doors, gates, and windows.

The room height must be designed so that it does not impair the health, safety, or well-being of employees. Employees must not suffer any postural damage while performing their work. Each workplace must therefore be at least 8 m² in size and have an unobstructed area of 1.5 m².

Here are a few examples from the ASR regarding room conditions:

• Floors, walls, and doors must be easy to clean in order to ensure a hygienic working environment.
• The floor must be slip-resistant, non-slip, and load-bearing. It must not have any trip hazards, slopes, holes, or uneven surfaces.
• Windows must be safe to open, adjust, and close. They should also protect against excessive sunlight.
• Walls that are made of glass or are transparent must be made of shatterproof material and clearly marked. The same applies to transparent doors.
• Sliding doors must be secured against falling out or being lifted out.
• Stairs must be designed so that they are completely safe and do not pose any danger.
• Every room must have sufficient daylight or, alternatively, be lit to provide sufficient brightness.
• The room temperature is also regulated in the ASR. However, there is no specific temperature specification; instead, the room temperature must be conducive to good health.

Fire protection and protection against special hazards

In order to make workplaces as safe as possible, fire protection is also regulated in the ASR. Care is taken to ensure that there are sufficient fire extinguishers, fire alarms, and alarm systems. Fire extinguishers must be labeled, easily accessible, and usable. Escape routes and emergency exits must be provided in accordance with the number of employees. Here too, clearly recognizable signage must be provided.

Furthermore, employees must be protected from falling objects, such as files. If there isa risk of objects falling,they must be secured in such a way that they cannot fall or the area must be secured against unauthorized access.