Members of the UK Green
Achilles Building Confidence
The Cold Facts about Hot Offices
The Health & Safety Executive’s (HSE’s) refusal to set a maximum workplace temperature has surprised many, not least the Trades Union Congress (TUC) which has slammed the decision as ‘ridiculous’.
The TUC has called for a maximum workplace temperature of 30 º C, or 27 º C for people doing strenuous work.
"Reasonable comfort"
But the HSE simply insists that employers abide by the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 and its accompanying code of practice and guidance. This requires employers to provide “reasonable comfort”.
According to Clive Norris, Director of Safety Policy at the HSE: “The decision not to set a maximum temperature recognises that many workplaces may have high temperatures because of the nature of the industry and processes involved. It would therefore be impractical to require every workplace to comply with the maximum temperature.”
Among the recommendations in the Workplace Regulations to cope with extremely hot weather are better ventilation and shading windows to reduce solar gain – both achievable with effective sun screening solutions.
energy-hungry air conditioning contributes to global warming
David Gordon, of Levolux, the country’s leading sunscreening specialist, believes the decision not to set a maximum working temperature stems from the Government not wanting to encourage the extra use of “notoriously energy-hungry air conditioning which also contributes to global warming”.
He adds: “Effective sun screening can readily solve the problem of high office temperatures without the costs and environmental damage associated with air conditioning.
“I believe that, for the sake of future generations, we must tackle the thorny issues of ozone depletion and global warming. Air conditioning is known to contribute to these twin threats to our climate and our health.
“The hole in the ozone layer – at least in part caused by refrigerants from air conditioning systems – is on the increase, threatening people’s health by allowing harmful cancer-causing rays through.
air conditioning systems consume vast amounts of electricity
“And air conditioning systems consume vast amounts of electricity. According to one report, the refrigeration industry accounts for 15% of the output of the national grid! Electricity generation produces carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that causes global warming. So the cooling industry is heavily implicated in this climate hazard too.
“Anything we can do to lessen the effects of man-made threats to our environment has to be welcomed.
”Sun screening systems such as curtains, blinds, aerofoil fins, and louvres – which control solar heat gain to keep offices cool in Summer – are environmentally benign because they do use no electricity and do not emit dangerous ozone-depleting chemicals. They also reduce unpleasant glare without obscuring windows, providing office occupants with a comfortable working environment. And they free occupants to open windows if they so wish, something that air conditioning prohibits.
sun screening can help the building owner slash energy costs
“As well as protecting the environment, sun screening can also help the building owner slash energy costs because they are passive and consume no electricity, and cal eliminate the need for fuel hungry air conditioning systems.
“So, for the sake of our health, our planet, and our pockets, I would urge every responsible building services consultant to seriously consider specifying, where possible, sun screening products rather than mechanical cooling.”