Maximum working temperature

peteb74

Is there a maximum temperature for working in an office and what should my employer do if someone is raising that temperature. Basically I share an office with my line manager who claims he needs his oil filled radiator on due to his asthma. When I try to open a window he pulls it closed. I raised it with our HR dept, who had a quiet word with him and since then he's had the heater on all the time while he's in the office

colino

Unfortunately the law is vague on things like this, an office has to be at a "reasonable" temperature, not a specific temp setting.
Have a word with HR again and ask for a fan, that'll get his asthma going.

scooby088

There are inhalers for his asthma so turn off the radiator and hide it in a cupboard when he's not there.

antrobus

Answer here:-

http://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/faqs/temperature.htm

peteb74

I've got a fan and HR offered to get another one but that would be like working in a wind tunnel. Surely someone who requires an office temp of 25c+ shouldn't be at work. This is not to mention his incessant coughing, sometimes to the point of almost retching..........


selling him well eh??

Furrtiv

I take it that he's already wearing warm clothes? If not, might it be a suggestion that, within the company dress code of course, he could wear a smart fleece/jumper? Thermal undies, even?
I used to work in a factory that had the opposite problem; there was no heating to speak of in winter. The one gas-powered space heater was not on often enough, and long enough, to heat the area, because the boss wouldn't pay for it! Due to this, I got very inventive with clothing, and bought and wore two layers of thermal undies, underneath t-shirts and leggings, then jeans and a warm fleece top over that, plus a woolly scarf and bobble hat! It really did get that cold! And my hands, which had to be kept free for work so no gloves, were always freezing!
So yes, maybe suggest thermals?!

peteb74

well, today he's come in wearing a jumper but he's still got this radiator on setting 6, like he did all through the warm weather a few weeks past

everyone in the buidling knows what he's like (it's a small place) and it's a joke to them, I laughed along for most of the last 10 years but it's really starting to get me down

MissSarah1972

Maybe he is coughing as its TOO hot?

I have mile asthma and I do not like the heat as it makes it worse.

I worked with someone who thought 24c was far too cold for her so she would turn off the air con and put a heater on while sitting in a suit jacket and overcoat. I was seem to be the nutter as I said 24c was too hot in a room with 2 printers, photocopier and 9 pc's all generating heat with no windows to open.

We had to reach an agreement in the end keeping the air con on at 24c but she use to do what she wanted when people left the office for lunch and turn it off yet still thought it was ok to have a heater on in JULY!
Maybe you need an agreement? Or move seats to you are near the window?

Fire_Fox

Some people's asthma is triggered by breathing in cold air. Write to HR and ask to be moved to a different office or desk because the temperature is affecting your concentration/ health (specify how)/ other relevant effect.