The recent cold snap has no doubt led to plenty of queries regarding temperatures in the workplace.
The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations SI 1992/3004 and the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations (Northern Ireland) SR 1993/37 detail the requirements for the temperature in indoor workplaces, stating that during working hours it should be kept "reasonable." In addition, guidance recommends that the temperature in the workplace should normally be at least 16 degrees Celsius unless the work requires severe physical effort, in which case the temperature should be at least 13 degrees Celsius. The temperature in workrooms should provide reasonable comfort without the need for special clothing.
These temperatures however do not apply to rooms where it is impractical to maintain such temperatures, such as those which have to be open to the outside or where food has to be kept cold. In such cases, the temperature should be as close to those mentioned above as is practical.
A thermometer must be provided so that workers can check the temperature in any workplace inside the building. The availability of a thermometer is a requirement under the Regulations.
In general, employers should try to make sure that the temperature at the workplace is pleasant, rather than too hot or too cold. The atmosphere should also be dry rather than damp or humid. The best that can be realistically achieved is a thermal environment which satisfies the majority of the people in the workplace, or put simply provides "reasonable or thermal comfort." A simple way of estimating the level of comfort in the workplace is to ask the workers or their representatives. If the percentage of workers dissatisfied with the thermal environment is above a certain level then the employer needs to take action. The Health and Safety Executive considers 80% of occupants as a reasonable limit for the minimum number of people who should be thermally comfortable in a given environment.
There is no legal minimum outdoor working temperature, so employers must rely on thermal risk assessments in such cases.
