Are there any OSHA regulations regarding indoor office temperatures?

Question

My wife works in an office and the heat and A/C are always broken. One week her office is 90 degrees and the next it's 50 degrees. She can't get anyone to fix it. What can she do?

Answer 1

As a general rule, office temperature and humidity are matters of human comfort. OSHA has no regulations specifically addressing temperature and humidity in an office setting. However, Section III, Chapter 2, Subsection V of the OSHA Technical Manual, "Recommendations for the Employer," provides engineering and administrative guidance to prevent or alleviate indoor air quality problems. Air treatment is defined under the engineering recommendations as, "the removal of air contaminants and/or the control of room temperature and humidity." OSHA recommends temperature control in the range of 68-76° F and humidity control in the range of 20%-60%.

Answer 2

Osha Office Temperature

Answer 3

Osha Temperature

Answer 4

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RE:
Are there any OSHA regulations regarding indoor office temperatures?
My wife works in an office and the heat and A/C are always broken. One week her office is 90 degrees and the next it's 50 degrees. She can't get anyone to fix it. What can she do?

Answer 5

I have the same problem. My office is freezing in the winter time, very uncomfortable, and they cannot get the temperature regulated. I have Raynaud's disease, which makes it much worse for me. This means my hands turn purple/black when I'm cold and could cause ulcers and worse. I do what I can to stay warm but they won't allow us to have heaters and I find it very difficult to type with gloves, which don't do much. Is there anything on OSHA with the American's Disability Act that I can fight the heater dispute with or have them provide an option for a more comfortable working environment case to get them to do something?

Answer 6

The Canadian OSHA is much more practical adaptive to seasons, that they have two sets of temperature range, one for Winter, the other for Summer, although both Canadian and American OSHA are using the recommendation from the same ASHRAE Standard 55 - 2010, but American Osha is selectively only publishing one number 72 that should be for Winter but the American Osha is making that same 72 for Summer as well. In comparison, the set of number in Canada is much more comfortable : http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/phys_agents/thermal_comfort.html
In American, lots of republican is against any claims on Green House Effects may have influenced the American Osha to be one sided.

Answer 7

Heat & A/C is a matter of human comfort so OSHA has no regulations for it.
There isn't much she can do except to report it to the appropriate party in writing and then make sure they do their job.
One answerer suggested taking a fan and a space heater. The fan is ok. The space heater is not. Most office buildings will not permit their use because it violates code and also because the circuit will overload if too many of them are in use.
If she wants to use a space heater she needs to check with building regulations to see whether or not they are permitted.

Answer 8

Well, I guess this is more like a question. My office is the coldest one in the building and is most of the time in 60 F degrees. I even get joint pain. But the rest of the building is OK. I even offer to cover the vent but they do not allow it. Any suggestions.? Is that consider a violation of OSHA ? Thank you, MG

Answer 9

You may want to check out the OSHA website at:
http://www.osha.gov
I also found the website below that has some rules on temperature at the OSHA site.

Answer 10

That is a common problem in many office buildings, the heat and air are run by one unit and have to generate heat and air for all the different offices .
So tell her to take a space heater and fan in to work
:)