What you will be able to do after this lesson
You will be able to convert the project headcount into a schedule of rooms and beds that a design engineer can check.
Why it matters
Project headcount and dormitory capacity are different numbers. On a site with 300 workers, 200 may be present at the same time, and 100 may sleep in one shift. If the spec contains a single figure, “300”, the supplier will either double the building or guess the shift pattern on the client's behalf.
For dormitories in Kazakhstan, the floor area of living rooms is regulated per person, and it is measured by the net room, not by the external outline of the module. A 6 055 × 2 990 mm module gives about 18 m² by external measurement, but the room inside is smaller by the wall thickness, so it cannot automatically be counted as a three-person room that meets the norm.
A practical tool is a room schedule: room type, number of beds, net floor area, category of occupants. The design engineer uses it to check the norm, and the manufacturer uses it to count modules. Sanitary fixtures are counted separately from the living area.
| Room type | Beds | Minimum area under clause 9 | What else to consider |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single | 1 | 6 m² | storage, a workplace if required |
| Double | 2 | 12 m² | layout of beds and wardrobes, passage |
| Triple | 3 | 18 m² | check the net area, not the external dimensions of the module |
How to apply this on a project
- Step 1. State the maximum number of people on site at the same time.
- Step 2. For rotational work, set the number of beds and the shift pattern separately.
- Step 3. For dormitories, check the living room area separately from corridors and sanitary rooms.
- Step 4. Where there are different accommodation categories, prepare a room schedule: single, double and triple rooms.
Area and sanitary fixture norms for dormitories, including shift worker camps
The Sanitary Rules “Sanitary and Epidemiological Requirements for Administrative and Residential Buildings” were approved by Order of the Minister of Health of Kazakhstan № ҚР ДСМ-52 dated 16.06.2022 (registered under № 28525).
- Clause 9: “When designing and reconstructing dormitories, the floor area of living rooms is determined at a rate of not less than 6 m² per person.”
- Clause 10: “Each floor of a dormitory shall be provided with toilet rooms, washrooms and kitchens”; number of fixtures: “1 shower, 1 washbasin and 1 toilet per 4–6 persons”.
Applicability to shift worker camp facilities. For facilities conducting petroleum operations it is set out separately: clause 83 of the Sanitary Rules “Sanitary and Epidemiological Requirements for Process and Ancillary Facilities and Structures Conducting Petroleum Operations” (Appendix 4 to the Order of the Minister of Health of Kazakhstan № ҚР ДСМ-13 dated 11.02.2022, reg. № 26806) requires that “dormitories for workers under the rotational (fly-in/fly-out) method of work (shift worker camps, temporary camps, floating accommodation complexes)” comply with Order № ҚР ДСМ-52; the same clause names standard modular blocks and mobile dormitory trailers. For sites in other industries, the applicability of the rules is confirmed by the design engineer.
The area is measured by the net living room: corridors, toilet rooms, kitchens and other auxiliary rooms are not included in the 6 m². The external dimensions of the module are not this norm. Other sanitary, construction and fire safety requirements are checked against the design.
Clauses 9–10 of Order № ҚР ДСМ-52 in the Әділет legal information system →
Order № ҚР ДСМ-13 (Appendix 4, clause 83) in the Әділет legal information system →
Typical mistake
Dividing the total number of workers by the number of beds in a module without accounting for shifts, gender, staff categories and net room area.
Check before the next step
- Concurrent headcount
- Number of beds
- Shift pattern
- Accommodation categories
- Room schedule
Related materials and tools
- Shift Worker Camp Calculator (in Russian)
- Questionnaire (in Russian)
- The “Dormitories” lesson in the shift worker camp course
Apply the lesson to your project
Gather the input data and record the unknown parameters as questions for approval. We prepare a calculation based on the questionnaire within 1 working day.