Working with PC: is there a legal temperature that an office must be at?

Re: Heat in Office

I can understand where the OP is coming from. It is impossible to work in that environment.

When I started my new job recently, my space was allocated right under an Air Conditioning Duct - there are about four of them scattered around the office - but this was cold air blasting right down on the back of your neck along with a constant hum that was similar to being on an airoplane.

Because of the way it was rigged up, it was not possible to switch some off, nor move the desk away from it, because of power points in the floor. I was going home freezing every evening and with a headache.

I asked three times for it to be turned off - they ended up having to turn off the whole system, but obviously someone else kept putting it back on, because they were too warm somewhere else.

I voiced my concern to one of the admin. people who look after that, and her comments were "I am sick of people, too warm, too cold", so at that stage I was really cheesed off and said - "you sit there, then".

I went to my own manager and said I am not sitting there. I have a new desk now somewhere else and some poor bloke is now complaining (he likened it to being on a ship)
 
Re: Heat in Office

I totally agree with OP - its hard to concentrate on work if your concentration is being broken by feeling cold all the time.

MandaC - I also sit practically under an air conditioner, its very cold at times. I wear winter clothes to work even in the summer (and swelter in the car!).
 
Re: Heat in Office

Equally hard to work if its too hot. I've worked in places where its 30 most of the day.
 
Re: Heat in Office

Somewhat off topic, but does the flu vaccine actually give you the flu?


Some say it does, but we used to get flu jabs every winter from the Medic (when i worked offshore) & I never caught a flu after it, and I recall most of my workmates said the same.
 
Re: Heat in Office

I think this perception comes from the way vaccines work - i.e., a tiny amount of the virus is introduced so that your immune system can configure itself to fight it in the event of a full blown attack.

In that sense, yes, the flu vaccine 'gives you the flu'.

In terms of symptoms though, many people report minor flu-like effects but many remain unaffected.
 
Re: Heat in Office

I think this perception comes from the way vaccines work - i.e., a tiny amount of the virus is introduced so that your immune system can configure itself to fight it in the event of a full blown attack.

In that sense, yes, the flu vaccine 'gives you the flu'.

In terms of symptoms though, many people report minor flu-like effects but many remain unaffected.

AFAIK the flu vaccine is a dead vaccine and as such cannot give you the flue.
If you are immune compromised when you get it you can become more susceptible to other viral infections.
 
Re: Heat in Office

Personally I dread the kind of people who, no matter how cold and windy the day, fling open all the windows the minute they come in. By the time everyone else gets into work, any bit of heat has escaped and its impossible to get the place properly warmed up again.
 
Re: Heat in Office

Please keep to the topic: Is there a minimum heat requirement in Offices?

SI/299/07 part 2 chapter 1 , reg 7

Minimum
Sedentary office work 17.5c after one hour
other sedentary work 16c

Thanks,
aj (moderator)
 
I looked into this before and I don't think there is any in law. I took mesurements in my own office for a month. One thing I noticed is that even if the temperature is the same in an office, people feel hotter/colder themselves. People vary in themselves from day to day. Also drafts might it feel colder than it actually is. Often if you block the drafts people feel warmer. Working out airflow in an office is often as effective as raising or lowering the temperature.
 
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