What temperature should our office be?
There are no actual limits prescribed under regulations but there are varying standards and publications which outline guidelines.

The International Standards Organisation's standard ISO 7730-1984 recommends a temperature range of 20° to 26°C for work such as office based sedentary activities - 24°C plus or minus 2°C for summer.

WorkCover NSW states that most people in Australia work comfortably at temperatures between 20°C - 26°C. The Australian Standard AS 1837 - 1976 Code of practice for application of ergonomics to factory and office work recommends a temperature range of 21°- 24° Celsius for both offices and factories in summer.

An important point to note is that office temperatures can be localised. For example, a desk situated in direct sunlight will be much warmer than the office, and a desk situated directly under an air conditioning vent can be cooler than average.

If there are continual complaints that the office is too warm despite the reading on the thermostat showing the temperature to be within the acceptable range, check that the thermostat has not been situated directly in the air flow from an air conditioning vent.

Some older personal computers can generate as much heat as small electric bar heaters, raising local temperatures above the room average. This problem can be compounded by the clustering of computers in one particular section of the office.

The perceived temperature inside will also depend on the outside temperature, so that if it is 35 degrees outside and 22 degrees inside, this may seem excessively cold when a person enters the office, however in winter, 23 degrees may seem warm.

Set the temperature at 22 or 23 degrees and make adjustments from that point. Check that the air conditioning reaches all areas in the office, and that windows receiving substantial quantities of sunlight are not causing problems.

What temperature is considered too hot to work?
There are no maximum or minimum prescribed temperatures. A risk management approach, in consultation with employees, is required to be taken when determining the work environment temperature.

WorkCover NSW has issued a useful fact sheet: Working in Heat

Can humidity be a problem?
Humidity refers to the amount of water vapour in the air. The optimum comfort range for relative humidity is 40-60%. However, relative humidity variations between 30% and 70% do not greatly affect comfort perceptions for such jobs if temperatures and air circulation are in order. Low humidity can cause dryness of the eyes, nose and throat and may also increase the frequency of static electricity shocks.

Relative humidity above 80% can be associated with fatigue and reports of 'stuffiness'. If relative humidity is consistently high or low call in an air conditioning expert to conduct a review.

What is considered a well ventilated room?
Ventilation refers to the movement of air and rate of fresh air input. Air movement of less than 0.1 metres per second can lead to stuffy rooms whereas above 0.2 metres per second draughts can be felt.

The Australian Standard AS 1668 Part 2 1991 Mechanical ventilation for acceptable indoor-air quality sets out the absolute minimum requirements for fresh air. For each person a minimum rate of 10 litres per second per person for general office space or 10 litres per second for every 10 square metres of floor space recommended.

Are thongs appropriate footwear for the office?
Appropriate footwear for an office environment depends on what hazards have been identified within an office. Appropriate footwear must be worn within the workplace where specific footwear is designated. This means that there must be some protection provided to the person from slips, trips and falls, plus protection from cuts and infections.

Bare feet and thongs are inappropriate in some areas and therefore not permissible. Covered shoes and strapped on sandals may be permitted, subject to their providing a degree of protection.

The appropriateness of an individual's footwear is the discretion of the staff member responsible for the office work area. A risk assessment should be completed to determine if open ended shoes is appropriate for your office.

How do we protect employees from the heat?
A risk management approach should be taken to ascertain the specific risk your workers are under from hot temperatures. Identifying the excessively hot areas in the workplace will enable a strategy to be found to deal with the effects of heat. While it is not always possible to eliminate heat from a workplace, the effects can be minimised.

Some of the risk factors that will need to be considered include the source of the heat or cold, the nature of the work undertaken, the duration of exposure to heat, the physical condition and capability of the worker and past experience of problems arising from work in hot environments.

As a basic guide you should:

• Recognise the environmental and workplace conditions that may be dangerous.
• Learn the signs and symptoms of heat-induced illnesses and injuries and what to do to help workers - possible effects from exposure to hot environments include fatigue, sweating, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, slurred speech, and collapse.
• Train workers about heat-induced illnesses and injuries.
• Encourage workers to wear proper clothing for hot and humid conditions, including layers that can be adjusted to changing conditions.
• Be sure workers in hot conditions take frequent short breaks in cool, dry shade to allow their bodies to cool down.
• Try to schedule outdoor work for the coolest part of the day.
• Avoid exhaustion or fatigue because energy is needed to keep muscles warm.
• Use the buddy system - work in pairs so that one worker can recognise danger signs.
• Drink cool, sweet beverages (sugar water, sports-type drinks) and avoid drinks with caffeine (coffee, tea, sodas or hot chocolate) or alcohol.
• Provide a fan.
• Allow workers to start earlier to avoid the heat.
• Install screening across windows which let in the direct sun.
• Plant trees outside the building for a longer term effect.

Also, remember workers face increased risks when they take certain medications, are in poor physical condition or suffer from illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension or cardiovascular disease.

What sun protection policies should we have in place?
Ensuring workplace health and safety requires employers to manage the risk to employees working in the sun, and preventing heat stress, heat exhaustion, sunburn and the development of malignant melanomas.

Sun exposure is a major OHS issue - for employers, sun damage compensation claims are also a big concern. It is important that employees at risk are provided with information on how to check for skin cancer.
All workers exposed to the sun should be encouraged to regularly check their skin thoroughly for spots that are new or have changed colour, size or shape.

The Cancer Council of Australia recommends that skin checks should:

• promote the early detection message
• encourage workers to 'get to know their own skin' and not to rely on workplace medical checks to detect skin cancer
• provide information on how to check for skin cancer
• undertake a full body examination on for skin cancer, and
• refer the employee to their own doctor or a skin specialist if skin cancer is suspected and confirmation of diagnosis and further action is required

Employers should implement specific initiatives for outdoor workers including the use of block-out, hats, UV-glasses, long sleeves and long pants to minimise the risk of skin damage.

Employees also have a responsibility to use the PPE and other devices and guidelines supplied by their employers.

Article Source: WorkplaceInfo