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Interior Design Can Affect Health, • Learning
Objectives/Grading Rubrics

Safety and Welfare • Self-Reflection

• Argumentative Essay
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• Compare/Contrast Essay
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As an interior designer one cannot underes mate the importance of health and • Reading Response
Assignments
safety. The difficulty, however, lies in the fact that the safety issues designers should be Are Too Many People Going to
College
concerned about are safety in the home, the office and the environment. A safely
Thinking Outside the Idiot
constructed environment, whether at work or play, is paramount to the quality and Box
Watching TV Makes You
safety of our lives. Smarter
The interior design profession must do more to address the public interest in the • Research Project
Interior Design Can Affect
areas of health, safety, and welfare. For the profession to con nue to meet the needs
Health, Safety and
of our technological society, interior design professionals have to take the lead in Welfare
• Research Proposal
iden fying areas in which they can be er serve the public interest. This ini a ve would
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require an ever-increasing Sitemap
body of knowledge gathered through both research and applica on, while at the same
me for fying and improving design educa on and training. “A commitment to life-
long learning will be compulsory as the interior-design profession must grow and
change with the changing world” (Sheila 21).
Rita Carson Guest, President of the American Society of Interior Designers, takes
issue with the claims of some lobbying groups that the work of interior designers is not
related to issues of public health, safety, and welfare. “Interior designers need to
educate thought leaders and opinion-makers in the media regarding the true scope of
interior design, and the unique ability of interior designers to design complicated
spaces that are simultaneously aesthe cally beau ful and technically correct to meet
building and life safety codes” (Guest 55).
The field of health and safety which an interior designer should be concerned about
is beyond the scope of this ar cle. But it would be useful to write down a summary of
the various health and safety best prac ces that influence our business on a daily
basis.
 The six leading North American Interior Design Organizations; the
American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), the Council for
Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA),the Interior Design Educators
Council (IDEC), the Interior Designers of Canada (IDC), the
International Interior Design Association (IIDA), and the National
Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) recently released
The Interior Design Professional's Body of Knowledge and Its
Relationship to a given population’s health, safety, and welfare. A
wide array of services and opportunities are provided to members of
associations which play an important role in the interior design
profession. Through these associations, individual interior designers
come together to network, to engage in continuing education and to
advocate for their profession. An association can be a good place for
active members to develop leadership skills as well.

The new publication in question first defines the interior design

profession for the public and its stakeholders It then goes on to outline
the core principals of interior designers and their dedication to both
improving the quality of life of its members and preventing harm to
the general public.

The aforementioned study was based on two major components: (1) an

analysis of interior design education, experience, and examination
source materials, and (2) a survey completed by 1,578 National Council
for Interior Design Qualification certificate-holding practitioners.
Survey participants were asked to rate the range to which certain
factors contribute to their projects in relation to health, safety, and
welfare. Their responses indicated that selection and application of
products and systems, as well as the product and system impacts on
indoor air quality, are the highest factors when designing for health.
In the safety category, fire, emergency, and outlet planning are a
major consideration. Also, survey responses indicate that universal
design and the physical, mental, and emotional comfort of occupants
weigh heavily in the welfare category.

"Continued research and applied knowledge and documentation are

essential to advancing the profession and increasing the health and
safety of the built environment," comments Jeffrey Beachum,
executive director of the Interior Design Educators Council (IDEC).
"The unified body of knowledge outlined in this report is both a
practical and encouraging step forward for the design industry and the
public at large" (Beachum).

Interior designers might ask the following questions: “

· “What should interior designers be thinking about next in an
increasingly interdisciplinary design world?”

· “What ideas are interior design researchers exploring in order to

influence the future of the industry?”

· What avenues (and funding) exist for innovative interdisciplinary

design and research?

The only way to protect the public from unqualified practitioners

of interior design is to provide title protection for qualified applicants.

This certification process would allow consumers to confidently make

decisions with regard to the choices of the interior designers that they

hire. Interior Designers impact the health and safety of the public at

large by the decisions they make every day on how they design the

work space that fits their clients’ needs. When incorrect design

decisions are made, and when improper materials are installed,

citizens can be exposed to unnecessary risks, such as the following

examples:

· Ensuring Safe Evacuation from Interior Spaces in

Emergency Situations; qualified interior designers are

knowledgeable of building codes that define outlet

requirements. This includes the responsibility for planning

clear circulation pathways within spaces that lead to building

exits, as well as for understanding the requirements for fire

ratings of partitions and door assemblies that affect the

spread of fire and smoke.

· Reducing Accidental Injuries Due to Falling; High-traffic

areas such as public building entrances and lobbies require

slip- and trip-resistant flooring materials. The qualified

interior designer understands technical properties such as

the coefficient of friction, a factor in slip resistance.

· Improving Indoor Air Quality; Materials that are void of

volatile organic compounds (VOCs) must be installed to

minimize “sick building syndrome”. Interior designers who

 have studied this are knowledgeable about products that do

not adversely affect indoor air quality.

· Proper Lighting; insufficient lighting can lead to

accidents as well as eyestrain. Proper lighting must be

provided to ensure the ability to clearly see transitions in

floor levels, read directional signage, and impart an overall

feeling of safety. Interior designers possess the technical

knowledge to specify appropriate fixtures for various interior

settings.

· Minimizing Fire and Toxic Smoke Hazards; fire is a

higher risk if fire-rated finishes are not specified, and the

toxicity of burning materials can be more deadly than the fire

itself. Critical to public safety, an interior designer’s

knowledge of the appropriate materials for different types of

interior spaces is vital. Qualified interior designers possess

knowledge of fire ratings and material properties that are

needed to reduce the potential of harm to consumers in case

of a fire.(Smith)

In conclusion, these regulations are so important to keep the

safety and health for every citizen. Interior designers are
responsible to provide the paramount environment that the
citizens in their country deserve.
 Works Cited

Christensen, Tricia Ellis. "What Does an Interior Designer Do?." 20

march 2013. Conjecture Corporation, Web. 5 Apr. 2013.
<http://www.wisegeek.org/what-does-an-interior-designer-
do.htm>.

Guest, Rita Carson. "It's Time We Mind Our Business." Interiors &
Sources 15.1 (2008): 54-55. Art Full Text (H.W. Wilson). Web. 28
Mar. 2013.

Kim, Sheila. "Report Examines The Factors That Interior Designers

Weigh Heavily In Designing

For Health, Safety, And Welfare."Contract 52.9 (2011): 26. Art Full
Text (H.W. Wilson). Web.

28 Mar. 2013.

Orthel, Bryan D . "iDO: Interior Design Optimism about the Future

among Emerging Educators.". Kansas State University, 17-19 Feb.
2013. Web. 28 Mar 2013. <http://2013.idec.org/ido-interior-design-
optimism-about-the-future>.

Smith, Linda Elliott. "Interior Design And The Public’s Welfare." IS

Magazine 10.8 (2003): 54. OmniFile Full Text Mega (H.W. Wilson).
Web. 2 Apr. 2013.

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