The winter is drawing in, although after the wettest summer since records began, you could be forgiven for thinking that winter never truly left us! Offices across the land are turning their heating back on and looking for air conditioning options without raising costs and affecting their bottom lines. And, if you are a manager you’ll need to make sure that your office temperature is appropriate.
The government-run Health and Safety Executive recommends a minimum temperature of 16 degrees Celsius. Obviously this temperature may be different in workshops with open doors or food preparation areas, but for an average office it’s the minimum comfortable temperature.
Most people would tend to find 16 degrees a little chilly, particularly if they are sitting still at desks all day – 19 or 20 is perhaps the best temperature to try!
You Have Air Conditioning Options
You might find that there are a few cold spots in your office that your staff complain about, particularly in the middle of large rooms or near frequently used doors (receptionists often have to deal with regular blasts of cold air!). If this is the case, air conditioning options such as air conditioning units can be a good option to provide on-the-spot heat as and when you need it. Units can be quite expensive, so air conditioning hire is probably a cheaper option to deal with the occasional cold morning!
If you have a business which often has a hot or cold environment, using air conditioning may be essential on a more permanent basis. Small offices can often get quite stuffy in warmer weather, particularly if they include a lot of people and/or computers.
Hot weather can make people feel lethargic and can often cause added stress or headaches, so a cool environment is preferable to keep people motivated and calm. At the other end of the heating spectrum, small workshops, marquees and sports halls can often be chilly in the winter and may benefit from a burst of extra heat.
If your business experiences both extremes, it is possible to find air conditioning units which offer both heating and cooling options. Hiring a unit is one of the a good air conditioning options to test the effect (and see if one is enough!), without having to splash out for a permanent unit, which may also incur installation costs.
image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/timo_w2s/6964046231/sizes/m/in/photostream/
Leave a Reply