What is the maximum and minimum temperature allowed in a workplace?
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 The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Approved Code of Practice and Guidance (L24) 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 norma
