Maximum & Minimum Working Temperatures

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Maximum & Minimum Working Temperatures

Solution The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 lay down particular requirements for most aspects of the working environment. Regulation 7 of these deals specifically with the temperature in indoor workplaces and states that:

(1) During Working hours, the temperature in all workplaces inside buildings shall be reasonable.

However, the application of the regulation depends on the nature of the workplace, i.e. a bakery, a cold store, an office, a warehouse.

The associated ACOP goes on to explain:

The temperature in workrooms should provide reasonable comfort without the need for special clothing. Where such a temperature is impractical because of hot or cold processes, all reasonable steps should be taken to achieve a temperature which is as close as possible to comfortable. 'Workroom' means a room where people normally work for more than short periods.

The temperature in workrooms should normally be at least 16 degrees Celsius unless much of the work involves severe physical effort in which case the temperature should be at least 13 degrees Celsius. These temperatures may not, however, ensure reasonable comfort, depending on other factors such as air movement and relative humidity.

HSE have produced a publication called Thermal Comfort in the Workplace HSG194, ISBN 0717624684, £3.50, which provides further guidance.

Although there is no maximum temperature stated in the regulations, the guidance states:

'An acceptable zone of thermal comfort for most people in the UK lies roughly between 13°C (56°F) and 30°C (86°F), with acceptable temperatures for more strenuous work activities concentrated towards the bottom end of the range, and more sedentary activities towards the higher end.

Because the maximum temperature is not stated in the regulation itself, the status of the ACOP must be explained and some cases may require advice or interpretation.

You may need to discuss measures such as, shading of windows, insulation of pipes, providing air cooling plant etc.

Questions may be raised regarding humidity, information on which can be taken from HSG132, Sick Building Syndrome.

In addition, questions may also raised regarding air conditioning, air movement, use of fans and what the employers duty is here. This question would also therefore move onto regulation 6, Ventilation.

The question may also cover some aspects of the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992, especially for those working in warehouses or cold stores.

Principle of risk assessment must also be employed, this too is often explained.

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Article details

Article ID:	165
Category:	Employment
Date added:	15-02-2009 08:12:17
Views:	318
Rating (Votes):	(8)

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