Is the office stuffy or cold? Which side are you on? Workplace temperature standards. What to do if the temperature at the workplace is above normal

Rostrud recalled the rights of workers and the duties of employers in the heat. Companies can be required to have normal working conditions, and this is not a pleasant bonus at all, but compliance with standard sanpin standards. If the office is hot, stuffy, or you have to work outside in the heat, you can leave work early or take breaks.

Workplace temperature - up to 25 ° C

The comfortable microclimate for sanpin is 23-25 \u200b\u200b° C. If the temperature in the office has risen above 28.5 ° C, this is an excuse to leave an hour earlier. If it is up to 29 degrees, you must let go already two hours earlier. And this is provided that you are just working at a computer or with documents. That is, you do not need to walk a lot, move something heavy and waste a lot of energy.

Ekaterina Miroshkina

economist

When there is physical activity, work hours should be shortened at 26.5 ° C.

Concrete workers, bricklayers, excavators and athletes should not work at all at temperatures above 31 ° C.

If you work outdoors, then, for example, at 35 ° C, no one can work a full shift. There should be breaks: 20 minutes of work - 10 minutes of a break in a room with a comfortable temperature or air conditioning. And so no more than two hours per shift.

When the temperature is over 37 ° C and you need to work outside, you cannot require workers to go out during the day, in the very heat. You need to reschedule working hours, for example, in the morning.

If an employer requires a builder, salesman, courier or driver to work continuously for eight hours in the heat, it is a violation of labor rights. And you can demand compliance in different ways.

It is also the employer's duty to supply an air conditioner or even a fan in a stuffy accounting office, in a warehouse, in a store. At the same time, the air conditioner should not blow in your back: there are norms for the air speed and temperature difference.

Drinks during working hours

When it's hot, you need to drink more. At least that's what Rostrud advises. If you work outside in hot weather, you need to drink a cup of water every 20 minutes. The temperature of drinks is 10-15 ° C. The employer must ensure that water is nearby and available. In the office, there is no problem with this, but those who work on the street need to provide water in the heat. The same goes for a first aid kit: it must be available to employees.

Rospotrebnadzor also advises drinking milk whey, mineral water and oxygen cocktails in the heat, eating more fruits and vegetables. True, he does not specify at whose expense.

Free overalls

Of course, no one is obliged to issue overalls to office workers by default. But if, according to the employment contract, overalls are supposed, in the heat it should be made of dense fabrics and several layers. It depends on how long you can work in the heat without interruption.

How to know how long you can work and when to take a break

For office workers and those who do not work on the roads, near the stove or under the scorching sun, a sanpin with general requirements is sufficient. It makes it clear what the temperature should be in the workplace and how this affects the length of the working day.

For calculations for some types of work, there is a manual with tables and formulas. But dealing with them is difficult. To understand whether your rights for the duration of work in the heat are violated, you need to take into account energy costs, moisture loss and body temperature. This determines how many hours you can work per shift and how often you can take breaks.

To calculate, you need to solve a multiple regression equation with six variables. If you have special working conditions, do not try to calculate it yourself - look for an expert.

What if it's hot at work and the employer doesn't respond?

If you have to work in the heat and have questions about compliance with your rights, it is better to do this:

1. Review the employment contract. What is your position, work schedule, employer responsibilities. The contract should not contain conditions that contradict the labor code. If it says that you have an 8-hour shift without a break and you yourself take care of the working conditions, it is illegal. Suddenly it turns out that there is no agreement or you
2. Understand what category your title belongs to. There are different work categories in the temperature table. They are described in Appendix 1 "Characteristics of Work Categories". For example, a dispatcher, accountant and manager in an office is category Ia, a teacher, agronomist and nurse - Ib, a truck driver or builder - IIb. For them, the conditions are different in terms of temperatures, duration of shifts and breaks.
3. Check the job description and work rules. They are rarely read, but there are many interesting things. It may suddenly turn out that the employer owes you much more than it gives you. And it may not even be related to the heat.
4. Contact your management: shift supervisor, foreman, director, or at least the HR department. Explain what is causing the discomfort and how the problem could be solved.
5. Consult the labor inspectorate. They will help you to understand the rights. Suddenly, it just seems to you that you can demand an air conditioner, but according to the law it is not. If it seems to you that there is nothing to breathe in the office, this is not a violation. For consultation

The modern person spends more time indoors. Therefore, in summer, the problem of the microclimate in the office becomes especially urgent. Both tightly closed windows and drafts are equally dangerous to health. What to do?

In the morning before 10.00 and in the evening after 16.00, the room should be ventilated by filling it with fresh air. If an air conditioner is installed in the office, the windows should be kept closed during the main working hours, otherwise the air conditioner will be ineffective. It is important to remember:

The air conditioner must be regularly cleaned from dust and possible mold,

The cold air jet should not be directed at any of the employees (cold air is best directed to the sides along the wall or ceiling),

The temperature on the air conditioner should be set within the range of 22-24º C, there should be no sharp difference between the outdoor and office air temperature - otherwise, colds are possible.

The temperature in the room, according to the hygienic requirements for the microclimate of industrial premises, "should not exceed 28º C. But even at this temperature it is quite difficult to maintain concentration. What to do?

First of all, it is necessary to ventilate the office in the morning and in the evening. Opening a draft so that the air jet does not directly hit any of the workers will also help freshen the room.

It is extremely important to avoid overheating and dehydration in hot weather. The right clothes, cold water washings, thermal treatments and drinks will help.

Clothes in hot weather should be loose and made of natural fabrics. Women should give preference to dresses, sundresses, blouses and skirts that do not fit the figure. Men will be comfortable in light linen trousers and a short-sleeved shirt. Shoes should be comfortable and open, well breathable, preferably with leather soles. Women should give up high heels and wedges, which provoke swelling of the legs. In addition, women should give up makeup or make it as light as possible, for example, limit themselves to eyeliner.

Fatty, fried foods should be excluded from the diet on hot days - such dishes are difficult to digest and increase body temperature. You should consume more liquid, and mineral or boiled water at room temperature is best suited.

Washings will also help cool off. Do not hesitate to walk to the restroom and wash your face and moisten your elbows with cool water.

Thermal products are a gift from the modern industry. Typically, these are sprays for the face, hands, neck and knee bends. They have a fresh scent, and when evaporated, they reduce the temperature on the skin, helping the person to cool down. Their effect is similar to that of cold washing, but lasts a little longer. Essential oils with fresh aromas, creams and gels with menthol can also ease your well-being. Essential oils should be applied drop by drop to a handkerchief in your breast pocket or wrists and temples. You should be careful with odoriferous products, because in hot weather all odors are perceived more acutely, and the pungent smell may make you feel worse. In addition, it is important to remember that scent does not lower body temperature, so it cannot replace proper clothing and drinking.

Sometimes in the heat it is recommended to drink hot tea. The effect of hot tea is that it tones (in a stuffy microclimate there is often a drop in blood pressure) and increases perspiration, which naturally cools the skin. The disadvantage of this technique is that, along with sweat, the body loses not only moisture, but also the salts necessary for ionic balance and, accordingly, energy.

If no means helps

If the room temperature exceeds 28º C, the working day should be reduced - this is the requirement of SanPiN 2.2.4.548-96. 2.2.4. At 28.5 ° C the working day is 7 hours, at 30 ° C - 5 hours, and at 32.5 ° C - 2 hours.

If the temperature does not exceed the norm, but the person does not feel well, he should go to the first-aid post (it is necessary to measure blood pressure, ideally, also the blood sugar) and honestly state his condition to the boss. In most cases, if the employee is really bad for objective reasons, the management goes to a meeting.

Hot weather can exacerbate a number of chronic diseases. High temperature is especially dangerous for people with cardiovascular pathology (mobility of blood pressure, especially a tendency to hypertension, pre-infarction, pre-stroke conditions, etc.), and pregnant women.

Based on materials from the Regional Center for Medical Prevention

The heat in Moscow will last throughout July, but office employees will not be released from work because of this. Source: http://yadrin.com

The temperature in Moscow will remain around the 30-degree mark throughout July. According to the existing sanitary standards, employees of the capital's offices can achieve a reduction in the working day when a certain temperature inside the premises is exceeded. But Rospotrebnadzor says that it is almost impossible to do this.

The heat, which was established in Moscow in mid-June, will continue throughout July. The temperature in the capital in the coming days will hold at around 30 degrees. At the same time, the city air will be extremely dry, which can further complicate people's well-being.

“July started with hot weather, and in the foreseeable future, one should not hope for a weakening of the heat, - said Elena Volosyuk, leading specialist of the Phobos weather center. - In the coming days, the process of anticyclogenesis will continue in the central regions of the country. This means that the dominant influence of the anticyclone over the central regions of the country will be established. A small anticyclone cloud arrives, grows in size, and the air filling it begins to warm up well. In the capital region, the temperature rises to 30-degree mark.

Intermittent rains may pass in the city, but they will not greatly improve the situation.

“There will be short rains in the south and southeast, but the precipitation zone does not pass beyond that,” Volosyuk said. “The activity of these fronts is very low, they are weak. Although in the coming days we do not exclude the possibility of thunderstorms. "

Elena Volosyuk noted that at the moment the temperature regime in Moscow significantly exceeds the norm.

“The day before yesterday (July 5), the average daily temperature in Moscow turned out to be 4.7 degrees higher than the long-term values,” she explained. “Yesterday (July 6), this excess was 6.3 degrees. Today it will also be 6-7 degrees above normal. If you look at the next week, the situation does not change. Chances are high that we can get temperatures above 30. Next week the temperature could reach 28 and 33 degrees. "

Forecasters expect a slight decrease in temperature only in the last days of July.

“Most of July will be very hot and very dry,” she said. “There is a hope that the heat may subside in the last days of July. I'm talking specifically about reducing the heat, and not about cooling. The temperature will drop to 25 degrees and it will seem that it has become a little easier to breathe. "

The right to work less that is not fulfilled

Meanwhile, if the temperature of 28-30 degrees is recorded in the working room, then employees have the right to demand from the employer a reduction in the working day. This is stated in the Sanitary Norms and Rules (SanPiN) in the country.

Requirements for the air temperature at the workplace are spelled out in the section "Hygienic requirements for the microclimate of industrial premises". It indicates what the employer should do if the standards are exceeded. As one of the measures, it is proposed to reduce the working day of employees.

So, for office workers, when the air temperature at the workplace is 30 degrees, the working day can be reduced to five hours (with the normative eight). At a temperature of 31 degrees - up to three hours, at 32 degrees - up to two hours, at 32.5 degrees - up to one hour.

A table showing how many hours representatives of various working categories can spend at the workplace when the temperature exceeds standards

Category Ia includes work with an energy consumption of up to 139 W, performed while sitting and accompanied by insignificant physical stress (a number of professions in precision instrument and mechanical engineering enterprises, in watchmaking, sewing, and in management).

Category Ib - work with an energy consumption of 140–174 W, performed while sitting, standing or associated with walking and accompanied by some physical stress (for example, a number of professions in the printing industry, at communications enterprises, controllers, foremen in various types of production).

Category IIa includes work with an energy consumption of 175-232 W, associated with constant walking, moving small (up to 1 kg) products or objects in a standing or sitting position and requiring a certain amount of physical stress (in particular, a number of professions in mechanical assembly shops of machine-building enterprises, in spinning and weaving production).

Category IIb - work with an energy consumption of 233-290 W, associated with walking, moving and carrying weights up to 10 kilograms, accompanied by moderate physical stress (a number of professions in mechanized foundries, rolling, forging, thermal, welding shops of machine-building and metallurgical enterprises).

Category III includes work with an energy consumption of more than 290 W, associated with constant movement, movement and carrying of significant (over 10 kg) weights and requiring great physical effort (a number of professions in forging shops with hand forging, foundries with manual filling and pouring of flasks machine-building and metallurgical enterprises).

According to SanPiN, in order to demand a reduction in the working day, the employer needs to create a commission that will measure the temperature in the workplace. The temperature must be measured in a certain way (how exactly, read more in section 7 SanPiN). Based on the survey results, a protocol is drawn up, which will indicate the measurements obtained and their assessment for compliance with regulatory requirements.

However, it will be extremely difficult to do this in practice, as GZT.RU found out. The Moscow administration of Rosapotrebnadzor believes that there is no way to achieve a reduction in the working day.

“It’s written, but it’s practically impossible,” said Rospotrebnadzor. “It’s easier for an employer to provide workers with water and other attributes. All offices should also have climatic installations - fans and other devices that mitigate the impact of the microclimate "

However, those who nevertheless intend to achieve a reduction in the working day are advised by Rospotrebnadzor to contact the Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology in Moscow. (FGUZ "Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology in the City of Moscow" is located in Grafsky Lane, 4/9)

“There are specialists there who have equipment,” the department explained. “They will come and measure the temperature with special thermometers. But research is carried out on a paid basis. The tariff is set by the RF ”.

The employer will not revise the work schedule

The recruiting company SuperJob.ru GZT.RU also stated that the Moscow heat wave is a temporary force majeure, due to which the employer will not revise the work schedule.

"Shorter working hours are established at enterprises with constant extreme conditions," Alexey Zakharov, President of SuperJob.ru told GZT.RU. "Despite the fact that efficiency decreases in the heat, it cannot be said that natural conditions have destabilized the work of offices."

Alexey Zakharov said that each company has its own way of fighting the heat. Additional air conditioners and fans are installed in offices; some companies allow for relaxation in the dress code.

“On an individual basis, employees can go to a meeting and be allowed to work remotely,” he added.

The fan normalizes the temperature

The Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia has also recognized that it is easier for an employee to achieve climate change in the room from the employer than to reduce the working day.

“All these standards are recommendatory, - said Vitaly Trumel, chief technical labor inspector of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia, to GZT.RU. - Even if the temperature exceeds the established standards, there is a fan to normalize the temperature, reducing it by 2-3 degrees. That is, to bring it to the maximum level - 28 degrees. "

The working day can be shortened only if it is spelled out in a collective agreement or in an agreement between the collective and the employer, Vitaly Trumel said: “The collective is needed to negotiate all possible points that may affect the well-being of employees during the labor process” ...

“Everything is possible to do,” he continued. “If a person sets himself the goal of shortening the working day and is no longer interested in anything, then this is the deepest delusion. Everything can be organized at the workplace. There is an organizational process to improve working conditions. If the employer cannot, the relevant authorities must issue prescriptions. ”

Setting the temperature in your office won't be easy

It will be extremely difficult to compete with the employer because of the heat in the office, says lawyer Oleg Zaitsev of the firm (Krikunov & Partners).

“The SanPiN data regulate exactly the duration of employees' stay at the workplace (at a temperature of 30 degrees), that is, if the employer has a rest, which is equipped with air conditioning, then the employee can simply go from his workplace to rest there,” explained Oleg Zaitsev.

Recording high temperatures in the office will also be challenging.

“On a certain day, the temperature at the workplace may exceed 30 degrees, and when an employee of Rospotrebnadzor comes to measure, at that moment the temperature may drop,” Zaitsev explained. “On the other hand, an employer can put in an air conditioner and it will be quite difficult to prove that the temperature here did not meet the standard. "

Polina Smekhova 16.06.2016 623

Even though summer has not yet come, the sun is shining brighter every day, the air temperature is inexorably rising, the room becomes stuffy. It's time to learn how to deal with the heat in the office.

When the brain refuses to think, clients and colleagues are annoying, and blood seems to boil in the body from the depressing heat ... imagine the snow-covered Alps. They say visualization helps to cope with many problems. In the meantime, we will tell you what to do when the office is unbearably hot.

In order to get rid of the exhausting heat, we will act in the following directions.

Making your office stay more comfortable

• Set up an aquarium with water. The evaporated moisture will cool the air.
• Cover plants with large leaves with water. They will retain moisture for a long time and the temperature in the room will drop slightly.
• You can spray the surrounding area with water using a spray bottle.
• Cover the windows with reflective tape with the mirror side facing the street.
• If you have air conditioning in your office, then you're in luck. However, the air conditioner dries the air a lot, so be sure to get a humidifier as well.
• You can put a crystal ball or a figurine in the workplace. Hold the crystal in your hands for a bit. Even in antiquity, it was used to cool drinks and the body, which it successfully copes with to this day. Crystal is also prescribed the ability to activate mental activity and develop intuition, so that you will not be afraid of the intrigues of colleagues.

We drink more

Quench thirst and help cool the body:

• hot green tea, especially with cardamom, ginger, or verbena;
• fruit drinks and compotes, juices without pulp;
• mineral water;
• water with lemon juice - it will also relieve lethargy and fatigue;
• natural bread kvass;
• teas with pieces of fruits and berries (rose hips, grapefruit, orange, etc.).

However, forget about coffee, as it dehydrates the body a lot. You should also not drink chilled drinks, they will only give a short cooling effect and can cause colds or sore throats.

We are switching to a summer type of food

In the heat, you don't always want to eat. But there are foods that not only do not overload the body, but also make it easier to cope with the heat.

What to eat in the heat:

• cold soups (okroshka, green borsch, beetroot);
• vegetables, berries and fruits (especially watermelon, grapefruits, cucumbers and tomatoes) - they will gradually replenish the body with fluid;
• fermented milk products and boiled fish.

Eat protein in the morning and carbohydrates in the evening. In the summer, you should limit the consumption of honey, meat and fatty foods as much as possible, as they cause a surge of heat in the body. Also, do not salt food too much. You should eat less confectionery, especially since they quickly deteriorate in the heat. But by adding red pepper to your food, it will be easier for you to cope with the heat.

Create a light summer look

Nothing beautifies a woman in summer ... at least cosmetics. Believe me, a floating foundation and smeared shadows will not add beauty to you, but worsen your well-being. Give your hair a break from styling products.

In the summer, it is worth switching to cotton or linen clothing. Better if it is spacious. A summer suit for a man should be light shades of brown, gray or blue; it is better to choose a suit jacket with or without a short lining.

Women who are not allowed by the dress code to show up to work without tights should consider buying stockings soaked in a special cooling agent.

Choose open shoes: for men it is better to choose shoes like moccasins for a suit.

What else can office workers do in the heat?

• You can improve your condition by rubbing the skin behind your ears with a damp cloth or blotting with cold water.
• Spray open areas of the body with a spray bottle.
• Rest during breaks.
• Plan important work for the first half of the day.
• Wash your face more often and wash your hands with cool water, or at least wipe your face with napkins.
• If you feel very weak, try rubbing your ears vigorously or pressing hard on the hole under your nose. By acting on these points on the body, you activate all processes in the body.
• Apply drops of lavender, peppermint, grapefruit or immortelle essential oils to your temples and wrists. They will refresh your body and your mind.

Have a cool working week!

Working in hot weather is hard. True, not all employers know about this. Meanwhile, there is even a special SanPiN that regulates sanitary standards when working in hot weather. It was about him that Rostrud traditionally reminded employers, as well as that if you refuse to shorten the working day in the heat, you can earn a fine.

What happened?

Rostrud published its traditional summer information message for employers, in which he reminded that they are obliged to create normal working conditions for workers in the heat. Officials, in particular, obliged the management of companies and individual entrepreneurs to recall the requirements of SanPiN 2.2.4.548-96. 2.2.4 "Physical factors of the working environment. Hygienic requirements for the microclimate of industrial premises. Sanitary rules and regulations ", approved by the resolution of the State Committee for Sanitary and Epidemiological Supervision of the Russian Federation dated 01.10.1996 N 21. These standards not only determine the maximum possible working day in hot weather, but also the conditions that the employer must create at the workplace.

How long can you work in the heat

According to SanPiN, as Rostrud recalled, if the temperature in the working room is close to 28.5 degrees, it is recommended to reduce the working day by one hour. When the temperature rises to 29 degrees - for two hours, at a temperature of 30.5 degrees - for four hours. In more detail, the dependence of the working time on the temperature regime can be seen in the table

How temperature affects run time

At the same time, if the employer does not comply with the requirements of sanitary standards, the employee has every right to remind the management of them and demand to be released from work early. If the bosses object, you should not leave without permission, as they may be considered absenteeism, but it will not be superfluous to write a memo or a statement. But reducing the length of the working day in hot weather does not exhaust all the obligations of employers.

Air conditioner in every office!

Rostrud recalled that the responsibilities of the company's management also include:

• providing air conditioning in workplaces;
• provision of free access to drinking water and a first aid kit;
• enabling employees to take breaks from work;
• organizing places to relax in a cool place;
• providing, if necessary, short-term paid holidays in particularly hot weather.

The service message, in particular, says:

It is desirable to provide a comfortable temperature and air conditioning. Working in a stuffy office or in a workplace can exacerbate chronic illness. The employer is obliged to ensure safe working conditions for employees, otherwise he may be held liable.

Payment for forced holidays due to heat can be made in accordance with part 2 articles 157 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation as downtime for reasons beyond the control of the employer and the employee, in the amount of at least two-thirds of the average salary. All measures taken to protect workers should be reflected in supplementary agreements to employment contracts.

Responsibility for violation of labor rights

If the employer ignores the appeal of Rostrud and the requests of its employees and does not ensure compliance with sanitary standards when working in the heat, he may be brought to administrative responsibility for article 6.3 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation... The penalty for violation of legislation in the field of ensuring the sanitary and epidemiological well-being of the population, expressed in ignoring the current sanitary rules and hygienic standards, failure to comply with sanitary and hygienic and anti-epidemic measures, is:

• for officials and individual entrepreneurs - from 500 rubles to 1000 rubles;
• for organizations - from 10,000 rubles to 20,000 rubles.

In addition, the activities of the organization may be suspended for up to 90 days.