With space within the healthcare estate at a premium, building designers are coming under increasing pressure to reduce the footprint of plant and building services requirements.
To address this issue, and ensure the quality of developments does not suffer, the Building Services Research and Information Association (BSRIA) has issued a new guide.
Safety in Building Services Design has been drawn up to help designers with the space planning of building services. It is intended for use by architects and designers and provides guidance on designing for safety for both new-build and refurbishment projects.
Chapters within the guide cover relevant legislation, hazards and risks, space requirement and access provision, maintenance, plant room design, and communication. The guide also includes a free download of an editable design considerations checklist.
A spokesman for the BSRIA said: “Designers have an obligation to understand the likely installation and maintenance work required in the buildings they design and must take care to provide safe means of access for installation, maintenance and equipment replacement. In addition, there needs to be an awareness of the legislative requirements that a design may impose on the installer and the end user. A design solution can often impose additional legal responsibilities, particularly in undertaking associated operation and maintenance activities.”
The launch of the document comes as the BSRIA also launches a new Safety in Building Services Design training course.
