Working temperatures in an office

[Nosha123]

How hot is too hot?

If you are pregnant and working in an office in a sedentary desk job - how hot is too hot? Before its deemed illegal or unsafe?

There is air con... but one unit is not working and so not proving as effective.
By law - what must you be provided with?

The air temp outside is much warmer than inside... but the rooms do get warmer during the day as the sun moves round.

A fan can be provided and adjacent air con units are working. But some people complain of being too cold as they are under the air con unit and some complain of being too hot (where it doesnt quite reach them!)

[factor-fiction]

There is a law about minimum temperatures but my understanding is that there is no legal maximum.

[HowardKennitby]

My understanding is same as Factor's

[Nosha123]

is it against the law to not repair an air con unit when someone who is pregnant is using it to keep cool?

[factor-fiction]

There is no legal obligation to provide air conditioning so there is no legal obligation to repair it.
The best thing is to ask your manager for help. If necessary ask for a doctor's note saying what's needed, but maybe the best you can expect is a fan or ice packs

[mccfluff]

there is no max temp. i keep the offices to 21/22 degrees in a heat/cool cycle to try to maintain an even temp. But you get "hot" people and "cold" people and you can never make anyone happy - air con is the bane of my life

if you have blinds on your windows close them

I would in this situation move you into a colder area

[Nosha123]

thanks all.. just as I thought!!!!

[Old_Geezer]

It seems quite perverse to specify one end of an acceptable range in law but ignore the other end. Perhaps one is expected to strike in protest instead.

Have to say I am out of sync with most folk on the issue. When I'm thinking, "It's nice and comfortably warm in here", I hear others making out it's too hot and asking how can they turn it down and freeze everyone (or words to the same affect). Then in winter they don't want the heating turned up enough.

[bednobs]

the pregnant worker needs to have a risk assessment undertaken. It could be highlighted on there.

[bednobs]

i think being hot is more miserable than being too cold. However, i'm not sure there is any proof that being hot adversely affects a pregnancy, therefore no obligation on they employer to purely make the woman feel more comfy

[bednobs]

Keep pressing post too soon!
Meant to say, when i was pg i negotiated with my boss that i could wear shorts in the office if it was hot

[Nosha123]

there are complaints that she is feeling feint and may pass out!

[bednobs]

who is to say that's to do with the temp though?

[Nosha123]

I suspect temperatures at home would be same if not higher than here though!

[Nosha123]

she cannot apparently regulate her body temp so is feeling hot all the time and feeling faint and sick the hotter she gets

[bednobs]

i suppose it comes down to this: do you want her off because she's feeling ill, or would it be more expedient to pay for the ac repairs? What would cost you more?

[factor-fiction]

Good point, bednobs- although I'm pretty certain there will be no obligation to install/repair the air con.
(BTW bednobs- have you been seen that the wanderer is back again on care home/pension topics.)

[factor-fiction]

^ my post was in response to yours of 15:43

[bednobs]

lol yes factor i had noticed but am trying a new tack of not getting aereated about it. Won't last long i guess!
(sorry nosh)

[mccfluff]

why can;t you just move her?

(and fix the aircon)

[Nosha123]

money is super tight right now! to the point that we may lose people... The air con people would cost in excess of £200 probably - for something that on the surface appears to be a really simple fault!
The hot days are so few and far between we cant justify the expense right now! If it were a heatwave it might be different!