Cold working conditions

[Bionic]

Just wondering what everyone’s thoughts are on cold working conditions. At what temperature do you think action should be taken to improve things, and who should be responsible for making that happen?

 

Two weeks ago, I emailed SLT after arriving at my office at 7:30am to find it a brisk 14°C. By the end of the day, it had soared to a tropical 16°C, practically shorts-and-T-shirt weather, right? The response was that I could bring in my own heater, provided it was brand new and came with a 12-month warranty. Fast forward to this morning: 12°C at 7:30am. The building’s heating system is apparently “working as expected,” according to the premises manager.

 

So, is 12°C considered acceptable for an office environment? We’re not even in the depths of winter yet, and my fingers and nose are freezing (okay, not literally frozen, but you get the idea!).

 

Am I being a snowflake (no pun intended)? Would love to hear your experiences and opinions!

[DalekSec]

Following Gov guidance, 16C is the miniumum: https://www.gov.uk/workplace-temperatures 

 

Under that i would take it to Health and Safety, it is for them to provide a heater not you!

[Koldov]

From Gov.UK:

 

https://www.gov.uk/workplace-temperatures

 

"Workplace temperatures

During working hours the temperature in all indoor workplaces must be reasonable.

There’s no law for minimum or maximum working temperatures, for example when it’s too cold or too hot to work.

However, guidance suggests a minimum of 16ºC or 13ºC if employees are doing physical work.

There’s no guidance for a maximum temperature limit.

Employers must stick to health and safety at work law, including:

keeping the temperature at a comfortable level

providing clean and fresh air

Employees should talk to their employer if the workplace temperature is not comfortable."

 

Is it just me, or does this seem to contradict itself every other sentence...? 🤔

[Bionic]

1 minute ago, DalekSec said:

Following Gov guidance, 16C is the miniumum: https://www.gov.uk/workplace-temperatures 

Thanks, I have seen that before. But after talking to my "employer" about the office temperature, it was clear that they want me to buy my own heater to resolve the problem.

[Bionic]

Currently sitting on my hands to warm them up.

[6Foot2]

I remember having to keep my (heavy outdoor) coat on, cold fingers, a blow heater in our small office on full and seeing my breath condense in the air.

 

Management insisted we had to keep working.

[Koldov]

Is there any method for heating your office already installed... and is it on?

 

What about other offices?

[Jaan]

I'd be opening their office windows for them! 😄

[Andrew_C]

11 minutes ago, Bionic said:

 it was clear that they want me to buy my own heater to resolve the problem.

You need to talk to your union...

[Jayellcee]

Don't want to make you jealous but .... 

At my school they provide electric radiators if staff are not warm enough. Parts of the building are old and cold, parts new and warm.

I have Raynaud's so if I am not warm enough my fingers go numb and won't work. Told management this and I got a toasty warm electric radiator right under my desk!

 

I would also say asking you to bring in your own is totally unacceptable!

 

[Jaan]

I agree its a joke.

 

we used to be provided with electric heaters here also, until the demand on the system started to cause power trips...... we had a new heating system for the whole school last year!

[machy]

If they want you to bring your own in, there's always the option of a nice wood stove... or campfire.

 

 

 

[Jawloms]

And if you bring one in from home which is over a year old, really it should be PAT tested, which your employer would have to pay for. Granted, that's cheaper for them than a heater, but still.....

[TheHyperTechie]

18 minutes ago, Jayellcee said:

Don't want to make you jealous but .... 

At my school they provide electric radiators if staff are not warm enough. Parts of the building are old and cold, parts new and warm.

I have Raynaud's so if I am not warm enough my fingers go numb and won't work. Told management this and I got a toasty warm electric radiator right under my desk!

 

I would also say asking you to bring in your own is totally unacceptable!

 

Similar to ours, my office is based in one of the rather "old" parts of the school - thin walls, old windows. We do have an electric wall mounted radiator in here but I believe it works via a timer. 

[Olliedawg]

We're in an older part of our school too. It is very cold first thing in the morning. Luckily we do have a wall mounted electric heater in here, which gets switched on as soon as I walk in the door! After half an hour of cold it's quite comfortable

[Roberto]

Honestly it feels like something that shouldn't happen in 2025

 

The forum software managing to bring the irony. 

[Steve101]

Its the employers responsibility to provide a 'comfortable' working environment. Speak to your union, they will advise you relocate to a warmer place if possible.. if not go home.

 

By the way, make sure you lay it on thick to the head teacher that it is effecting your health and wellbeing.

[Andrew_C]

It is quite cold here too... because BOTH of the main pumps have failed.  Running on zone pumps, with a flow temp of 40 instead of near 80.

 

Not moaning, as I know they are doing what they can.  Spending £ching on pumps and an engineer to take 1/2 a boiler out to gain access.

[6Foot2]

1 minute ago, Steve101 said:

... lay it on to thick the head teacher ...

 

FTFY.

 

😏

[dhicks]

1 hour ago, Jaan said:

we used to be provided with electric heaters here also, until the demand on the system started to cause power trips...

 

With our building, we find there is generally enough capacity to power heaters for all the spaces that need one, but people tend to buy 3kW oil-filled radiators, which tend to get up to temperature and then cut off, coming back on after some time or when they sense a temperature drop. Of course, they tend to all come back on at the same time, which then trips the circuit (which becomes an IT problem because the computers have stopped working). Generally, we've found that small 500W oil-filled radiators (currently around £30 on Amazon) are fine, they make for a more consistant power draw from the mains.

 

More ideally, decent modern aircon units can generally heat as well, and much more efficiently than plain resistive heaters. Larger initial cost (starting at more like £300), I'm not sure how long it takes to break even with heating costs compared to other heaters.

[nicholab]

Serious question how did people not get cold when the building where first put up?  Did people wear vest, shirt and jumper with a sports jacket?

[MicraMan]

Personally i wouldn't spend my own money for my working environment so i would just wear extra layers or take it further...

[Rob_D]

8 minutes ago, nicholab said:

Serious question how did people not get cold when the building where first put up?  Did people wear vest, shirt and jumper with a sports jacket?

Based on what I've seen in the past, the most likley reson is that the "office" is a convertued store room/cupboard, or classroom that's been partitioned up into office space and only one person got the heating (but they got all the heating so they're constantly too hot).

[mavhc]

2 options: 1. take all the printing that's never been collected and build yourself a fire, or 2. find a new job as your leaders don't care about their employees, so best to quit asap

[robintech]

3 hours ago, Jawloms said:

And if you bring one in from home which is over a year old, really it should be PAT tested, which your employer would have to pay for. Granted, that's cheaper for them than a heater, but still.....

 

I'm surprised how cheap the oil filled radiators are , £35 for the most expensive on CPC and £20 for the cheapest inc VAT