How Warm Should Your Office Be?

November 21st, 2014 by Airedale Cooling

Warm conditions in the workplace can make the working day rather unbearable and can negatively affect productivity as employees struggle to concentrate and focus on their tasks. Here at Airedale Cooling, we understand how important it is to maintain the perfect office conditions to create a comfortable working environment and increase the motivation of employees. This article will serve to explain what your rights are and what your employer is obliged to provide when you find yourself working in a warm office.

The law

There is no set limit on how hot a workplace can be. The law does not state a minimum temperature, but the temperature in workrooms should normally be at least 16 degrees Celsius, or 13 degrees Celsius if much of the work is physical. The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 establish particular requirements for most aspects of the working environment.

Regulation 7 deals specifically with the temperature for indoor workplaces, stating that: ‘During working hours, the temperature in all workplaces inside buildings shall be reasonable.’ However, this is relative to the nature of the workplace, as the application of this regulation depends on the working environment itself; if you work in a kitchen, the conditions will vary significantly from employees who work in a chilly supermarket.

When should you complain about the temperature?

To ensure an employer knows when to investigate temperatures in the workplace, the HSE has established a measure of when action must be taken: if 10% of staff who work in air conditioned offices make a complaint, your employer must assess the situation; for non-air conditioned offices the figure is 15% and for shops and warehouses 20% of staff need to make a complaint.

The TUC has been campaigning for a legal maximum temperature for many years as it believes it should be set at 27 degrees Celsius in workplaces where people are involved in laborious work and 30 degrees Celsius for all other employment.

Heat Pumps

Any employer should know that they are not going to get high performance from their employees if they are too hot, which is why sensible employers should utilise heating and cooling technology to regulate temperature and keep environments at a refreshing level. To achieve this, there is a new innovative heat pump technology which produces both warm and cool air to keep employers feeling comfortable at work.

If you are searching for premium quality heat pump designs and installations, look no further than Airedale Cooling. Simply contact our skilled technicians today for further information.