Law
Offices, Shops and Railway Premises Act 1963
United Kingdom · statute
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In force since 2014-04-22, as the publisher states.
Copy read on 2026-11-08. The page it was read from
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.
sha256 3760d73fc6d9346985132bfd91ac162f24f37e46bbd8bbe8818e2613b4505f00
Contents: 75 provisions
- Title and introductory text
- 1 Premises to which this Act applies.
- 2 Exception for premises in which only employer’s relatives or outworkers work.
- 3 Exception for premises where only 21 manhours weekly normally worked.
- 4 Cleanliness.
- 5 Overcrowding.
- 6 Temperature.
- 7 Ventilation.
- 8 Lighting.
- 9 Sanitary conveniences.
- 10 Washing facilities.
- 11 Supply of drinking water.
- 12 Accommodation for clothing.
- 13 Sitting facilities.
- 14 Seats for sedentary work.
- 15 Eating facilities.
- 16 Floors, passages and stairs.
- 17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 23 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 27
- 28 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 42 Provisions with respect to buildings in single ownership.
- 43 Provisions with respect to buildings plurally owned.
- 44 Provisions with respect to contiguous fuel storage premises in single ownership.
- 45 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 46 Power of authorities who enforce Act to grant exemptions from certain requirements thereof.
- 47 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 48 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 49 Notification of fact of employment of persons.
- 50 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 51 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 52 Authorities who are to enforce Act.
- 53 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 54 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 55 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 56 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 59 Restriction of disclosure of information.
- 59A Exception to restriction: public authorities
- 60
- 61 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 63 Offences.
- 64 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 65 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 67 Defence available to persons charged with offences.
- 68 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 69 Removal or defacement of documents posted in pursuance of Act or regulations under it.
- 70
- 71
- 72 Appeal from orders made on complaint.
- 73 Power of county court and sheriff to modify agreements and apportion expenses.
- 74 Amendment of sections 123(1) and 124(1) of Factories Act 1961, and provisions consequential thereon.
- 75 Amendment of section 125(1) of Factories Act 1961, and provisions consequential thereon.
- 76 Amendment of Public Health Act 1936.
- 77 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 78 Provision for securing exercise of local Act powers in conformity with this Act.
- 79 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 80 Regulations and orders.
- 81 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 82 Expenses and receipts.
- 83 Application to the Crown.
- 84 Exclusion of application to visiting forces.
- 85 Exclusion of application to factories, to certain fish sale-rooms and to parts below ground of mines.
- 86 Exclusion of application to premises occupied for transitory purposes.
- 87 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 88 Application to Isles of Scilly.
- 89 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 90 Interpretation
- 91 Short title, commencement, extent and repeal.
- SCHEDULE 1
- schedule-n2
Proposed changes to this act
No one has proposed a change to this act yet.
75 provisions
59 Restriction of disclosure of information.
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Propose a change59A Exception to restriction: public authorities
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Propose a change60
(1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Propose a change61 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Propose a change63 Offences.
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Propose a change64 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Propose a change65 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Propose a change67 Defence available to persons charged with offences.
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Propose a change68 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Propose a change69 Removal or defacement of documents posted in pursuance of Act or regulations under it.
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Propose a change70
(1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2)—(4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Propose a change71
(1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Propose a change72 Appeal from orders made on complaint.
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Propose a change73 Power of county court and sheriff to modify agreements and apportion expenses.
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Propose a change74 Amendment of sections 123(1) and 124(1) of Factories Act 1961, and provisions consequential thereon.
(1) For the purposes of section 123(1) (application of Act to electrical stations) of the Factories Act 1961, office premises to which this Act applies which are comprised in premises to which that subsection applies shall, notwithstanding that they are so comprised, be deemed not to form part of the premises. (2)—(4). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Propose a change75 Amendment of section 125(1) of Factories Act 1961, and provisions consequential thereon.
(1) For the purposes of section 125(1) (docks, etc.) of the Factories Act 1961, office premises to which this Act applies which are comprised in premises to which that subsection applies shall, notwithstanding that they are so comprised, be deemed not to form part of the premises. (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (3) The reference in the said section 125(1) to a warehouse in or for the purposes of which mechanical power is used, being a warehouse neither forming part of a factory nor belonging to the owners, trustees or conservators of a dock, wharf or quay, shall be construed as not including a building occupied by a wholesale dealer or merchant where goods are kept for sale wholesale or a part of a building so occupied where goods are so kept.
Propose a change76 Amendment of Public Health Act 1936.
(1),(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Propose a change77 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Propose a change78 Provision for securing exercise of local Act powers in conformity with this Act.
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Propose a change79 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Propose a change80 Regulations and orders.
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Propose a change81 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Propose a change82 Expenses and receipts.
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Propose a change83 Application to the Crown.
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Propose a change84 Exclusion of application to visiting forces.
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Propose a change85 Exclusion of application to factories, to certain fish sale-rooms and to parts below ground of mines.
(1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . nothing in this Act shall apply to any premises which, for the purposes of the Factories Act 1961, form part of a factory. (2) With the exception of section 75(3) of this Act, nothing in this Act shall apply to any premises which, not being office premises, are used for the sale of fish by wholesale and constitute, or are comprised in, premises to which certain provisions of the Factories Act 1961 apply by virtue of section 125(1) (docks, etc.) of that Act. (3) Nothing in this Act shall apply to any part below ground of premises which, for the purposes of the Mines and Quarries Act 1954, are a mine.
Propose a change86 Exclusion of application to premises occupied for transitory purposes.
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Propose a change87 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Propose a change88 Application to Isles of Scilly.
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Propose a change89 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Propose a change90 Interpretation
(1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, the following expressions have the meanings hereby assigned to them respectively, that is to say:— except in section 1(4) of this Act, “building” includes structure; “contravention” includes, in relation to a provision of this Act or of regulations thereunder, a failure to comply with the provision, and the expression “contravene” shall be construed accordingly; “employed” means employed under a contract of service or apprenticeship (whether oral or in writing, express or implied); . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . “fish” includes molluscs and crustaceans; “fuel storage premises” has the meaning assigned to it by section 1(3)(a)(v) of this Act; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . “the Minister” means the Secretary of State; “notice” means a notice in writing; “office premises” has the meaning assigned to it by section 1(2) of this Act; “owner”— as respects England and Wales, means the person for the time being receiving the rackrent of the premises, building or part of a building in connection with which the word is used, whether on his own account or as agent or trustee for another person, or who would so receive the rackrent if the premises, building or part were let at a rackrent, and as respects Scotland, means the person for the time entitled to receive or who would, if the same were let, be entitled to receive, the rents of the premises, building or part of a building in connection with which the word is used and includes a trustee, factor, or person entitled to act as legal representative of a person under disability by reason of nonage or mental or other incapacity, and in the case of public or municipal property, applies to the persons to whom the management thereof is entrusted, and “owned” and “ownership” shall be construed accordingly; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . “railway premises” has the meaning assigned to it by section 1(4) of this Act; “railway undertakers” means any persons authorised by an enactment or a provision of an order or scheme made under or confirmed by an Act to construct, work or carry on a railway; “shop premises” has the meaning assigned to it by section 1(3) of this Act; “week” means the period between midnight on Saturday night and midnight on the succeeding Saturday night. (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (3) For the purposes of this Act— (a) persons employed by railway undertakers to do work the general control of the doing of which is exercised at railway premises, or at office premises occupied by the undertakers for the purposes of the railway undertaking carried on by them and situate in the immediate vicinity of the permanent way, shall be deemed to be employed to work in the premises at which the general control of the doing of their work is exercised notwithstanding that their work is in fact done elsewhere; (b) neither railway premises nor such office premises as aforesaid shall be taken to be premises in the case of which persons are employed to work therein by reason only of the fact that persons employed by the undertakers who occupy the premises resort to the premises for the purpose only of discharging duties whose discharge is incidental to the work that they are primarily employed to do. (4) For the purposes of this Act, any such person as follows shall be taken to be employed, namely,— (a) a person appointed under section 6 or 7 of the Registration Service Act 1953 who exercises and performs his powers and duties in premises provided and maintained by the council within whose area his district or sub-district is situate; (b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (c) a member of a police force maintained by a local policing body or a police authority, or (d) a member of a police force seconded to the National Crime Agency to serve as a National Crime Agency officer. (5) The definition of a class of premises, rooms or persons for the purposes of any regulations or order under this Act may be framed by reference to any circumstances whatever. (6) Any reference in this Act to any other enactment shall, unless the context otherwise requires, be construed as a reference to that enactment as amended or extended by or under any subsequent enactment.
Propose a change91 Short title, commencement, extent and repeal.
(1) This Act may be cited as the Offices, Shops and Railway Premises Act 1963. (2) This Act shall come into operation on such day as the Minister may by order appoint, and different days may be appointed for the coming into operation of different provisions, of a particular provision in relation to premises of different classes or of a particular provision for different purposes. (3) This Act shall not extend to Northern Ireland . . . (4) The enactments specified in columns 1 and 2 of Schedule 2 to this Act are hereby repealed to the extent respectively specified in relation thereto in column 3 of that Schedule.
Propose a changeSCHEDULE 1
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Propose a changeSection 91
Propose a change