Stay safe tijdens het werk en verkoel jezelf bij warm weer.

LABOR RISKS WITH AN INCORRECT INDOOR CLIMATE

May 11, 2022

As described briefly in the previous blog, companies are increasingly faced with the consequences of high and low temperatures during their work. The indoor climate is also a factor that plays a significant role. The consequences of this negatively affect the health and performance of the employee, including your company. In this blog we zoom in further on the consequences of an incorrect indoor climate.

Occupational risks with an incorrect indoor climate

Headaches, irritated eyes, a dry mouth, colds, all complaints where the indoor climate can be the culprit. Like a virus, such as Covid-19, these complaints can spread quickly when the indoor climate is not optimal. In addition, the thermal indoor climate (i.e. the temperature inside) in the workplace influences the comfort in productivity of your employees. In extreme cases, this can lead to irreversible health damage.

Legal requirements

In general, buildings must at least meet the requirements of climate class C. However, with new construction and renovation you are legally obliged to comply with climate class B. Climate class B is also the minimum recommended climate class to comply with. For the thermal climate it looks like this:

	A High	B Middle	C Low
Single Office
Winter Summer	22,0^TheC ± 1,0 24,5^TheC ± 1,0	22,0^TheC ± 2,0 24,5^TheC ± 1,5	22,0^TheC ± 3,0 24,5^TheC ± 2,5

Open Workplaces
Winter Summer	22,0^TheC ± 1,0 24,0^TheC ± 1,0	22,0^TheC ± 2,0 24,5^TheC ± 1,5	22,0^TheC ± 3,0 24,5^TheC ± 2,5

Meeting place
Winter Summer	22,0^TheC ± 1,0 24,5^TheC ± 1,0	22,0^TheC ± 2,0 24,5^TheC ± 1,5	22,0^TheC ± 3,0 24,5^TheC ± 2,5

rule of thumb

When it is very hot, or very cold, it is important to take appropriate measures. Article 6.1 of the Working Conditions Decree indicates that temperature must not cause harm to the health of workers. Since the law does not prescribe fixed values, there is a generally accepted rule of thumb (note: this is not legislation). This rule of thumb looks like this"

In summer, the ideal temperature is between 23 and 26ºC.
At temperatures above 26ºC there is an extra physical load and the entrepreneur has to think about measures.
A maximum of 28ºC applies to light physical office work.
For intensive physically strenuous work, a maximum of 26ºC applies. Provided there is a clearly perceptible airflow. Without perceptible airflow, it should not be warmer than 25ºC.
A maximum of 25ºC applies to very physically strenuous work. Provided there is a noticeable airflow. Otherwise it should not be warmer than 23ºC.

Baten & lasten

Research has shown that the costs per employee on average €3600 per year amounts in a bad indoor climate. For example, the indoor climate of a production facility has a significant influence on the comfort and thus the productivity of the employees. However, this also applies in other sectors such as (financial) services. Here, a pleasant indoor climate can Increase productivity and yield by 10-15%† The thermal indoor climate can be improved by taking technical and organizational measures.

DISCLAIMER: This blog should not be construed as medical, regulatory or legal advice in any form. The information shared in this blog was obtained exclusively from the sources listed, which can be found in the source reference below. Do you have questions about the content? Please contact a specialist or send us an email, after which we can refer you to the right person.