How to Efficiently Keep your Office Warm this Winter

As the year comes to a close, we have the festivities and cheer to keep us warm. But in terms of the actual temperature, not so much. The question is this: how do we keep an office at a comfortable temperature when it’s near freezing?

Keeping the office at a comfortable temperature is crucial for your employees. Whilst it might not reach the extremes of hypothermia and frostbite, there are other issues to consider, such as:

• Increased chance of colds and flu-like viruses
• Increased blood pressure
• Tightened airways
• Increased risk for immuno-compromised or vulnerable employees

Keeping your workspace at a regulated, comfortable temperature helps your employees to remain in good health, which promotes productivity and employee satisfaction.

What’s the Minimum Legal Temperature for an Office Space?

Keeping the office warm in winter is important. So much so, according to the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, the Health and Safety Executive has stated that employers must provide a “reasonable” temperature in the workplace. 

The recommended minimum temperature for general office work is considered to be 16°C. For those in a more active, rigorous environment, this shouldn’t drop below 13℃. Whilst this may not be a strict legal limit, employers are required to maintain a comfortable working environment. This includes a risk assessment for a drop in temperature. 

Finding the Right Temperature for your Workspace

If you’re wondering how to keep the office warm, you can use the Thermal Comfort Checklist. This is a comprehensive list created by the HSE which accounts for a range of factors including humidity, air movement and temperature. 

If the end result indicates a risk of temperature discomfort, you can then carry out an additional risk assessment. If the office space is too cold, steps must be taken to remedy this.

The Office Space – Let’s Heat it Up

Here are some key tips for warming up your workspace:

• Identify and fix cold draughts

With a significant temperature difference between the inside and outside, the ‘stack effect’ occurs, which causes hot air to pull in cold air from the outside. This can be prevented by blocking places in which cold air can seep in. Seal windows and doors and avoid leaving doorways open.

• Portable heaters

For large or open-plan offices, portable heaters can be used and moved around as needed for individual use. Free-standing heaters, hot water bottles and foot heaters for under the desk are all great solutions.

• Don’t place furniture next to radiators

Having furniture pressed against heat sources blocks the flow of warm air, making the office slower to heat. Consider repositioning furniture away from any heat sources.

Stay Warm, Stay Efficient

It is well-known that the conditions of a workspace can significantly impact the satisfaction of your employees, so it ought to be taken seriously. Changing your office space may feel like a daunting task, but if have any questions related to a new and improved office fit-out, let us know. 

Don’t hesitate to reach out to Daniel James for a friendly consultation. We are a team that specialises in office fit-outs, with happy clients across the nation.