Commercial Interior Space Designing-II

Commercial Interior Space Designing-II 4(1+3)

Lesson 5 : Public Buildings and Design Process

Prevent Occupational Injuries and Illnesses

• Consider work practices, employee physical requirements, and eliminating confined spaces when designing buildings and processes.
  
• Design for safe replacement and modifications of equipment to reduce the risk of injury to operations and maintenance staff.
  
• Provide proper ventilation under all circumstances, and allow for natural lighting where possible.
  
• Mitigate noise hazards from equipment and processes.
  
• Designate safe locations for installation of RF equipment such as antennas on rooftop penthouses.
  
Prevent Falls from Heights

• Provide guardrails and barriers that will prevent falls from heights in both interior and exterior spaces.

Provide Designs that Eliminate or Reduce Hazards in the Work Place to Prevent Mishaps

• Provide designs in accordance with good practice as well as applicable building, fire, safety, and health codes and regulations.
  
• Conduct preliminary hazard analyses and design reviews to eliminate or mitigate hazards in the work place.
  
• Use registered design professionals and accredited safety professionals to ensure compliance with safety standards and codes.
  
• Provide engineering controls in place rather than rely on personal protective equipment or administrative work procedures to prevent mishaps.
  
• Integrate safety mechanisms, such as built-in anchors or tie-off points, into the building design, especially for large mechanical systems.
  
• Design a means for safely cleaning and maintaining interior spaces and building exteriors.
  
• Provide for receiving, storing, and handling of materials, such as combustibles, cleaning products, office supplies, and perishables.

Prevent Slips, Trips, and Falls

• Provide interior and exterior floor surfaces that do not pose slip or trip hazards.
  
• Select exterior walking surface materials that are not susceptible to changes in elevation as a result of freeze/thaw cycles.
  
• Provide adequate illumination, both natural and artificial, for all interior and exterior areas
  
• Comply with all regulatory and statutory requirements such as the National Disabilities Act and National building Code.

Ensure Electrical Safety

• Ensure compliance with the National Electrical Code (NEC)
  
• Provide adequate space for maintenance, repair, and expansion in electrical rooms and closets.
  
• Evaluate all areas for proper electrical safety measures.
  
• Consider response of emergency personnel in cases of fires and natural disasters.
  
• Label all electrical control panels and circuits.
  
• Install non-conductive flooring at service locations for high voltage equipment.
  
• Specify high-visibility colors for high voltage ducts and conduits.

Eliminate Exposure to Hazardous Materials

• Consider experts advise in all phases of the project to include planning, design, construction, and maintenance for hazardous building materials and substances
  
• Consider occupants safety in designing ventilation and drainage systems.
  
• Provide adequate space for hazardous materials storage compartments and segregate hazardous materials to avoid incompatibility.
  
• Substitute high hazardous products with those of lower toxicity/physical properties.

Provide Good Indoor Air Quality and Adequate Ventilation

• Consider ventilation systems that will be above the minimum standards.
  
• Recognize and provide specially designed industrial ventilation for all industrial processes to remove potential contaminants from the breathing zone.
  
• Design separate ventilation systems for industrial and hazardous areas within a building.
  
• Consider the use of carbon monoxide (CO) monitoring equipment if there are CO sources, such as fuel-burning equipment or garages, in the building.
  
• Specify materials and furnishings that are low emitters of indoor air contaminants such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs). See Green Products.
  
• Consider the indoor relative humidity in the design of the ventilation system.
  
• Avoid interior insulation of ductwork.
  
• Locate outside air intakes to minimize entrainment of exhaust fumes and other odors. (e.g., vehicle exhaust, grass cutting and ground maintenance activities, industrial pollutant sources, cooling tower blow-offs, and sewage ejector pits).
  
• Ensure the integrity of the building envelope, including caulks and seals, to preclude water intrusion that may contribute to mold growth.
  
• Prevent return air plenums/systems from entraining air from unintended spaces.
  
• Provide air barriers at interior walls between thermally different spaces to prevent mold and mildew