What Is The Standard Temperature For Offices?
Complaints in a workplace about the temperature being either too hot or too cold are very common and not feeling comfortable in an office can be extremely detrimental as it can impact an employee's level of productivity throughout the day. For this reason, workplaces have a responsibility to maintain a standard temperature that is comfortable and suitable for all to work in. So, what is the standard temperature and what can you do to maintain it?
What are the guidelines?
For your employees to be more productive and less stressed while at work, offices need to be kept at the right temperature.
Most countries have their own guidelines on what that should be. In Australia, the official guidance is that office buildings should be kept between 20 and 24 degrees Celsius depending on the time of year, the outside temperature and the clothes/uniform worn.
Optimum humidity levels, meanwhile, are between 40% and 60%. If humidity levels fall below 40%, this may start to cause problems for employees with conditions such as sinusitis.
The impact of air conditioning
If your employees are feeling too warm and flustered at work, then it is crucial to make sure that steps are in place to help to reduce office temperatures. The use of ventilation and air conditioning in buildings is the easiest and most reliable way to control the temperature of an office on warm and stuffy days and make it a much more pleasant and controlled environment.
By maintaining standard office temperatures and creating a cooler climate, the average person will get a lot more work done. Here are just a few of the benefits of keeping your office within this recommended temperature range:
Improved concentration: A cold or hot office may distract staff from completing tasks at hand because of how uncomfortable it feels. Cooler temperatures encourage better concentration while warmer ones can make people sleepy and sluggish.
Higher productivity: Research has shown that productivity drops when an employee's body temperature rises above 98°F (37°C). This means that if they're working in a warm environment with no air conditioning or fans available to cool off, then they're less likely to reach their full potential.
What if your air conditioning system breaks down?
If you're running your air conditioning hard and on a daily basis, it may begin to become less efficient over time and could potentially increase the risk of breakdowns, leaving you with no A/C at all.
If this is the case, then management should provide ventilation fans until the air conditioning is fixed to avoid facing the negative effects of an office not meeting average room temperature standards.
In the meantime, make sure to organise maintenance for your air conditioning. To find out more about what we have to offer at Coolman Airconditioning, call us on 0422 291 433.
