|
|
Working Temperature Regulation: Do I Need Air Conditioning?
Temperatures last summer reached some dizzy heights and, while Britain basked in glorious sunshine, many workers sweltered unbearably in offices without air conditioning.
A large number assumed that something should be done about the heat. Surely it isn't legal to work in temperatures well above 30 degrees celsius?
Working environments in the UK are tightly regulated in many areas for the health and wellbeing of employees, and rightly so but, interestingly, there is still no legal maximum working temperature in the UK.
Known stereotypically for its colder climes, the UK has long protected its workers from the chillier end of the temperature scale. An employer providing a working environment of less than 16 degrees celsius, or 13 degrees celsius for manual workers, is breaking the law.
No such law exists for hotter temperatures though and, although the Health and Safety Executive has acknowledged that working temperature is 'an issue', in theory, a working environment can be swelteringly hot and employees still can't legally enforce change, such as the introduction of fans or air conditioning, because the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 state only that working temperature should be 'reasonable'.
Of course, what is and isn't 'reasonable' changes from person to person, and allows the maximum temperature in an office to reach whichever degree nature intends it to.
The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has in the past called it 'farcical and dangerous' that there exists no maximum working temperature, and has demanded change to regulations on numerous occasions. Fortunately, many employers engage common decency and will take reasonable steps to provide a comfortable working temperature by using fans or air conditioning.
Choosing not to bring down the temperature of your employment premises for financial reasons is in fact a false economy. Of course, a sweltering workforce is not a happy workforce, and therefore not a productive workforce either. As anyone who has had to work in very hot temperatures knows, unbearably hot conditions cause a lack of concentration, stress and exhaustion, which can lead to accidents such as trips and slips, as well as markedly reduced productivity and clarity of thought. TUC has also pointed out that irritability caused by extreme heat can raise incidences of violence in the workplace.
There have been calls to set a maximum working temperature at 30 degrees celsius, and the world Health Organisation currently recommends a maximum temperature of 24 degrees celsius for the health and happiness of workers.
The Government in the UK may well review its regulations in the future due to continued pressure from various bodies, but in the meantime it's worth investing in air conditioning, or at the very least, desk fans, for your employees. Law or otherwise, common sense tells that a workforce's productivity will not meet optimum level in extreme heat, and after all, it's a small price to pay for good staff morale.
About the Author Thomas Pretty is an air conditioning specialist with many years of experience working in the air conditioning installation industry. Find out more about air conditioning at http://www.pureairconditioning.co.uk/
|
 |
Please Rate: |
|
Rating: |
 Processing ... |
(Average: Not rated) |
| Views: | 89 | |
|
| More Articles from Human Resources | | |
| Top Articles in Human Resources | | |
|
