What you will be able to do after this lesson
You will be able to calculate beds by shift and category and check them against the area standard.
Why it matters
The starting figure is not the project's staffing level but the number of people who need a bed at the same time. It depends on the rotation schedule, personnel categories (engineering staff, workers, contractors, women and men separately) and whether shifts stay on site simultaneously.
Next comes the room schedule: single, double and triple rooms are combined to suit the categories. For each room, the net floor area is checked against the standard, not the external dimensions of the module. Bunk beds increase capacity but do not reduce the room area requirement.
Sanitary fixtures are calculated from the number of residents separately, under their own clause of the rules. So "one sanitary module per 25 people" without checking its actual fit-out is not a calculation.
| 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. Separate the workers on site from the people who need a bed.
- Step 2. For dormitories, record the net floor area of every living room.
- Step 3. Combine single, double and triple rooms in a room schedule.
- Step 4. Calculate sanitary fixtures separately from the living area.
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
Using the external area of the modules to demonstrate compliance with the area-per-person standard.
Check before the next step
- Simultaneous occupancy
- Shift pattern
- Personnel categories
- Beds per room
- Net room area
Related materials and tools
- Shift Worker Camp Calculator (in Russian)
- Questionnaire (in Russian)
- Turnkey shift worker camp: composition and stages
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.