F E T Y AT

SA W
& O

TH

R
K
L
• HEA

AC T
HSWA

GUIDE
•

QUICK
Managing thermal
comfort at work
July 2019
CONTENTS

1.0 Introduction 4
What is this guide about? 4
HSWA does not state minimum or maximum safe temperatures
for work 4
PCBUs must manage any risks from high or low temperatures
at work 5

2.0 What does the law say? 6

Your duty of care 6
Involving workers (worker engagement) 6
What does reasonably practicable mean? 6

3.0 Thermal comfort 8

What is thermal comfort? 8
Why is thermal comfort important? 8
You should aim to provide a thermally comfortable
work environment 8

4.0 Thermal discomfort 9

What is thermal discomfort? 9
General and local thermal discomfort 9
Is it ok for people to experience thermal discomfort at work? 9
Thermal stress 9

5.0 Influences on thermal comfort 11

Environmental influences 11
Personal influences 11
How these influences interact to affect thermal comfort 12
6.0 Assessing thermal comfort at your work 13
Talk to your workers 13
Observe thermal influences in your workplace 13
If thermal discomfort is an issue in your workplace 14
If thermal stress is a risk in your workplace 14

7.0 Managing heat at work 16

Indoor workplaces 16
Outdoor workplaces 17

8.0 Managing cold at work 18

Indoor workplaces 18
Outdoor workplaces 19

9.0 PPE and thermal comfort 22

10.0 More information 23

tables
1 Temperature ranges for thermal comfort 8
2 Managing heat – indoor workplaces 16
3 Managing heat – outdoor workplaces 17
4 Managing cold – indoor workplaces 18
5 Managing cold – outdoor workplaces 19

figures
1 Human comfort 12
2 Thermal comfort scale 14
3 Thermal comfort in an indoor workplace 20
4 Thermal comfort in outdoor workplaces 21
Managing thermal
comfort at work
KEY POINTS

–– Thermal comfort describes whether a person feels

hot, cold, or just right.

–– Thermal comfort is influenced by many factors, not

just air temperature.

–– Maintaining a thermally comfortable environment

can improve the morale and productivity of workers,
as well as supporting health and safety.

–– PCBUs must take all reasonably practicable action

to prevent workers from experiencing thermal stress
while working.

–– The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (HSWA)

does not state minimum or maximum safe
temperatures for work.
 1.0
Introduction
What is this guide about?
This guide offers information on how to manage thermal comfort at work.

It is written for PCBUs (a person conducting a business or undertaking)

but can also be useful for workers and others in the workplace.

This quick guide explains the difference between:

–– thermal comfort
–– thermal discomfort
–– thermal stress (which can cause temperature-related illness or injury).

It provides guidance on how to assess thermal comfort in your workplace

and create a work environment that is thermally comfortable for your workers.

If there is a thermal stress risk in your workplace (rather than a thermal

discomfort issue) see WorkSafe’s Guidelines for the management of work
in extremes of temperature for guidance on managing this risk.

HSWA does not state minimum or maximum safe

temperatures for work
It is very difficult to give a maximum or minimum temperature for working
based on air temperature alone. Air temperature only tells part of the story
when it comes to the effects of exposure to high and low temperatures on
people. How people are affected by temperature while working depends
on a number of factors such as:
–– humidity
–– exposure to the sun or other radiant heat sources
–– amount of air movement
–– work demands – how physically demanding the work is
–– what clothing or personal protective equipment (PPE) is worn
–– personal health factors/tolerances.

Some industries where working in temperature extremes is a specific risk

(such as mining), have requirements in their regulations and guidance
about monitoring workplace temperatures. This guide does not override
those requirements.

4
PCBUs must manage any risks from high or low
temperatures at work
Temperature at work needs to be managed like any other potential hazard in
the workplace. As a PCBU, you must first identify any hazards associated with
exposure to very high or low temperatures, then eliminate the risk those hazards
create so far as is reasonably practicable.

If the risk cannot be eliminated, you must minimise the risk (so far as is reasonably
practicable) by substitution, isolation, and adding engineering controls. If it is
not reasonably practicable to minimise with those controls, then administrative
controls and lastly, personal protective equipment (PPE) should be used. See the
sections Managing heat at work and Managing cold at work for examples.

For more detailed information on controlling health and safety risks at work
generally, see Worksafe guide Identifying, assessing and managing work risks

5
 2.0
What does
the law say?
Your duty of care
Under HSWA’s primary duty of care, PCBUs are required to ensure, so far as
is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers. PCBUs must also
provide a work environment that is without risks to worker health and safety.

Workers and other persons in the workplace also have a duty to take reasonable
care to keep themselves, and others, safe while working.

See WorkSafe guide Introduction to the Health and Safety at Work Act for
more information.

Involving workers (worker engagement)

You must engage with your workers when identifying the risks in your workplace,
and when deciding on appropriate control measures. This includes how to deal
with any temperature-related problems.

You have two duties:

–– to engage with your workers on health and safety matters that may directly
affect them, so far as is reasonably practicable, and
–– to have practices that give your workers reasonable opportunities to
participate in improving health and safety on an ongoing basis (these are
known as worker participation practices).

See WorkSafe guide Worker engagement and participation for more information.

What does reasonably practicable mean?

Health and safety duties need to be performed so far as is reasonably
practicable. There are two parts to ‘reasonably practicable’. First consider what
is possible in your circumstances to ensure health and safety. Then consider,
of these possible actions, what is reasonable to do in your circumstances.

When deciding what is ‘reasonably practicable’, consider:

–– How likely is the risk and how severe is the illness or injury that might result?
–– What do you know, or should reasonably to know, about the hazard or risk
and the ways of eliminating or minimising the risk?
–– What is the availability of the control measures, and how suitable are they
for the specific risk?
–– What are the costs of the control measure and are the costs grossly
disproportionate to the risk?

See WorkSafe guide Reasonably practicable for more information.

6
Consider a warehouse that may get uncomfortably hot for a few days at the
height of summer each year. The PCBU consulted with the affected workers
who suggested a number of control measures including:
–– providing personal fans
–– hiring portable air conditioning units
–– fitting more fans and vents into the roof
–– installing an air-conditioning system.

After consultation with the workers, considering the likelihood and severity
of the risk, the suitability of the control measures and lastly cost, the PCBU
decided to hire portable air conditioning units for the few days that it gets
too hot.

7
 3.0
Thermal comfort
What is thermal comfort?
Thermal comfort describes whether a person feels too hot, too cold, or just right.
A person can be described as being ‘thermally comfortable’ when they are not
feeling either too hot or too cold.

Thermal comfort can be very subjective. An environment that is comfortable for

one person may feel too hot or cold to another and depends on many interacting
environmental and personal influences, see the section 5.0 Influences on thermal
comfort

Why is thermal comfort important?

By managing thermal comfort you are likely to improve the morale and productivity
of your workers. This can improve health and safety. People working in
uncomfortably hot or cold environments are more likely to behave unsafely
because their ability to make decisions or perform manual tasks deteriorates.
For example:
–– people may take short-cuts to get out of hot or cold environments
–– workers might not wear PPE properly in hot environments, increasing the
risks of injury
–– a worker’s ability to concentrate on a task may start to drop off, increasing
the risk of errors occurring.

You should aim to provide a thermally comfortable

work environment
The following temperature ranges should provide thermal comfort for most
people in an indoor environment.*

SUMMER WINTER

Sedentary work 19-24°C 18-22°C TABLE 1:

Physical work 16-21°C 16-19°C
Temperature ranges
for thermal comfort

*These values assume:

–– workers are wearing seasonally appropriate clothing
–– the air speed is about 0.1–0.2 metres per second (without creating a draught where sedentary work is carried out)
–– humidity levels are normal (40-70%)
–– workers are not directly exposed to any radiant heat sources.

See section Influences on thermal comfort for more details.

8
4.0
Thermal discomfort
What is thermal discomfort?
A person feeling thermal discomfort will feel either too hot or too cold, but
it is not extreme enough for them to suffer illness or injury as a direct result.

General and local thermal discomfort

General thermal discomfort is when a person’s whole body feels uncomfortable.
Local thermal discomfort is when only one part of a person’s body feels
uncomfortable, such as their hands or feet. What action you take to deal with
thermal discomfort will depend on whether the worker is experiencing general
or local discomfort.

Is it ok for people to experience thermal discomfort at work?

Because of varying personal factors (such as sex, weight, fitness and medical
conditions), people can respond differently to the same thermal conditions.
It may not be possible or practicable to achieve thermal comfort for all workers
all the time.

While a work environment that causes thermal discomfort may not directly cause
illness or injury, it does have many disadvantages, for example:
–– workers can feel tired and irritable
–– they may be less productive and make more mistakes with their work
–– there’s a greater risk of someone making a mistake that could result
in an accident.

In an indoor environment, you should try to achieve an environment that suits

the majority of workers. Provide personal options such as clothing layering for
workers who need to add or take away layers to maintain their own comfort.

When working outdoors (where the thermal environment cannot always be

controlled) you should consider how controlling workers’ clothing, physical
activity and timing of the work can reduce thermal discomfort (see sections 7.0
Managing heat at work and 8.0 Managing cold at work for examples).

Thermal stress
Thermal stress is more severe than thermal discomfort. It happens when the
thermal environment is so extreme that the body begins to struggle to maintain
a stable core temperature. It can result in heat-related or cold-related illness or
injury to a person.

If there is a thermal stress risk (rather than a thermal discomfort issue), see
WorkSafe’s Guidelines for the management of work in extremes of temperature
for guidance on managing this risk.

9
 Heat-related illness and injury
Heat-related illnesses and injuries can happen when the body’s means of
controlling its internal core temperature starts to fail. As well as air temperature,
factors such as work rate, humidity, and clothing may lead to heat-related illness
or injury.

Heat-related illnesses and injuries are progressive and symptoms can include:
–– headache
–– dizziness
–– heavy perspiration
–– increased heart rate
–– dehydration
–– fainting
–– heat rashes
–– muscle cramps
–– heat exhaustion (this is a serious condition)
–– heat stroke (this is a serious, potentially fatal condition).

Cold-related illness and injury

Cold-related illness and injury occurs when workers are exposed to cold
temperatures, strong or cold wind, dampness, and cold water. Skin temperature
drops and the body has to work harder to maintain its internal core temperature.
When the body is unable to warm itself, serious cold-related illnesses and injuries
can occur, which can result in permanent tissue damage and death.

Cold stress is a risk especially when working outdoors in cold weather or working
in artificially cold environments, such as refrigerated areas.

You can find more detailed information about preventing heat and cold-related
illness and injury in WorkSafe’s Guidelines for the management of work in
extremes of temperature

10
5.0
Influences on
thermal comfort
When most people think about how comfortable a work environment is, they
think of the air temperature (measured using a thermometer). However there
are many influences on how thermally comfortable a person may feel while
working. These influences (environmental and personal) may be independent
of each other, but together they contribute to a worker’s overall feeling of
thermal comfort or discomfort. Not everyone will respond the same way
to a thermal environment.

Environmental influences
Air temperature
Air temperature is how hot or cold the air around us is. Although this is the
easiest of all the influences to measure, it is not the only thing that needs to be
considered. If air temperature is the only measurement taken, it’s hard to predict
how the temperature will affect people.

Humidity
Humidity is the moisture content of the air. Humidity is especially important in
hot or high activity situations. If the air has a high moisture content (over 80%),
sweat will not evaporate as quickly, slowing a worker’s ability to stay cool and
making them feel hotter.

Relative humidity of between 40% and 70% is ideal, as it usually doesn’t have
a major impact on thermal comfort.

Radiant heat
Radiant heat is emitted from anything that’s hot, such as sunlight, furnaces,
dryers, and ovens. In time it will heat the air, but will heat people and solid
surfaces nearby more quickly.

Air speed
Air speed is the amount of air movement. Draughty or windy conditions will cool a
person. This can help cool people in hot situations, but chill them in cold situations.

Personal influences
Clothing
Clothing insulates workers from the environment and also traps body heat. It can
help keep workers warm in cold conditions, but hinder their ability to stay cool in
hot conditions.

Physical activity
As physical activity increases, so does the body’s heat production. In a cool
situation, physical activity can help to warm a person. In a hot situation, physical
activity can make a person feel even hotter.

11
 Other factors
Other factors that may make a person more sensitive to high and low
temperatures include:
–– sex – males generally have a higher metabolic rate than females
–– age – younger and older people in particular
–– underlying health conditions
–– body build and weight
–– use of certain prescribed medicines
–– use of substances such as alcohol or illegal drugs
–– temporary health issues (such as diarrhoea, hangover, fever, dehydration,
and fatigue).

How these influences interact to affect thermal comfort

Some of the above influences may work to cancel each other out, while others
can combine to make people feel even hotter or colder. For example:
–– high temperatures but with a high wind speed may mean workers still
feel comfortable
–– high temperatures and high humidity will make workers feel even hotter
and put the body under extra stress
–– low temperatures but with lots of physical activity may mean workers still
feel comfortable
–– high physical activity and high radiant heat will make workers feel even
hotter and put the body under extra stress
–– even on a cool day, a worker performing strenuous work, while wearing
heavy PPE and exposed to radiant heat, could be at risk of overheating.

Clothing insulation
%

Humidity
Human Air speed

Comfort

Metabolic rate Air temperature

FIGURE 1:
Radiant heat Human comfort

12
6.0
Assessing thermal
comfort at your work
Assessing thermal comfort at your place of work can be as simple as:
–– asking your workers how comfortable they are, and
–– making your own environmental observations.

Talk to your workers

You could ask your workers to rate themselves on the following scale:

-4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4
Very cold Cold Cool Slightly Neutral Slightly Warm Hot Very hot FIGURE 2:
cool warm
Thermal comfort scale

This will tell you if there is any problem with thermal comfort from your workers’
point of view, and how severe or widespread it might be.

Observe thermal influences in your workplace

You should do your own assessment of the working environment, as well as asking
workers about thermal comfort. Focus on the main thermal comfort factors,
starting with the air temperature, then look at how the other five thermal comfort
factors may be adding or taking away from how the air temperature is perceived.

The following checklists may help.

Air temperature
–– What are the hottest or coolest parts of the day?
–– What are the maximum or minimum temperatures?
–– What is the average temperature?

Set up a thermometer in the area you want to measure, but place it out of direct
sunlight and away from any radiant heat sources. Choose a period of time you
want to take readings at, for example, hourly, two-hourly or over a particular part
of the day.

Measurements should be taken daily for at least one to two weeks to get a
reliable average.

Record the readings for future reference. If the environment is affected by

seasonal factors, you may need to reassess at different times of the year.

Consider your air temperature findings in relation to other environmental and

personal influences below.

13
 Humidity
–– Do any work processes create steam or moisture (eg a kitchen or laundry)?
–– Is there a lot of (or a little) humidity in the area where you live and work?
–– Do workers get very wet from sweat? In a dry environment, workers will hardly
notice sweat because it evaporates easily. If workers are sweating a lot, the
humidity may be high.

Radiant heat
–– Is there a lot of direct sunlight in the place of work, or does heat radiate
through poorly insulated building materials?
–– Is there any office machinery such as large computer banks or photocopiers
near work areas?
–– Does any work take place close to a source of heat like a furnace or oven?

Air movement
–– Is the air movement strong enough to create a cooling draft?
–– Is the air movement just blowing hot air over workers or is it actually
cooling them?
–– Is the work environment stuffy or does it lack ventilation?

Physical activity
–– Does anyone in your workplace have a job where medium to high levels
of physical activity are required?
–– Are workers mostly active or mostly sitting down?
–– Are work tasks highly repetitive?

Clothing
–– Are people sensibly clothed for the season and the temperature?
–– Does anyone need to wear protective clothing or equipment that will prevent
them from cooling down in hot conditions?

If thermal discomfort is an issue in your workplace

If only a few workers are reporting thermal discomfort and your observations do
not show any obvious sources of discomfort, personal options (such as personal
fans or clothing changes) may solve the issue.

If a significant number of your workers are complaining of being too hot or too
cold (-3 to -2. or 2 to 3 on the scale in Figure 2) or you can see potential sources
of thermal discomfort at your work, you should make changes to improve the
work environment.

The following sections 7.0 Managing heat at work and 8.0 Managing cold at work
offer practical examples of action you can take to manage thermal influences
at work.

If thermal stress is a risk in your workplace

If you find there is a risk of thermal stress (rather than a thermal discomfort
issue), you should take immediate action to improve the thermal environment
to keep your workers safe from any temperature-related illnesses or injury.
Stop work until the risk can be controlled.

14
A workplace health and safety professional can do a workplace risk assessment
and develop a thermal stress management plan. You can find a list of workplace
health and safety professionals on the HAZANZ register or contact the
New Zealand Occupational Hygiene Society

More detailed information on how to manage temperature extremes in the

workplace is available Guidelines for the management of work in extremes
of temperature

15
 7.0
Managing heat at work
Indoor workplaces
There are many ways to manage heat sources in indoor workplaces to maintain thermal comfort for workers.

THERMAL CONTROL CONTROL EXAMPLES

Cool the air –– Install air conditioning – you should deal with any high radiant heat sources first (see below)
temperature or air conditioning may not be as effective.

Promote air –– Provide personal fans for workers – this is good for dealing with localised high temperatures
movement (but make sure they are not just blowing hot air around).
–– Install large diameter ceiling fans – they provide air movement over a wide area.
–– Install large exhaust fans, mounted in roofs and walls, these are useful for removing heated air
and drawing in cooler air from outside (assuming the air outside is cooler).
–– Where possible, make sure windows can be opened to let fresh air in (as long as it does not
interfere with building air conditioning systems).

Lower the humidity –– Lower humidity using dehumidifiers.

–– Provide good ventilation and air extraction, especially near work that produces moisture.

Reduce exposure to –– Separate workers from heat producing plant by:

radiant heat sources -- putting plant in separate, ventilated rooms
-- positioning workstations away from radiant heat sources (including direct sunlight)
-- shielding workers from plant using heat screens.
–– Insulate hot plant and pipes to reduce heat radiation.
–– Keep heat out of the building by:
-- installing thermal insulation in buildings – especially in metal clad buildings and warehouses.
Doing this will reduce heat radiating through walls and roofs that heats the inside air temperature
-- using blinds, curtains and reflective coatings on windows to reduce direct sunlight
-- painting roofs in a light colour.

Give workers time –– Schedule more frequent breaks to allow cooling off time.
to cool off –– Provide cool drinking water.
–– Encourage workers to drink plenty of water.

Schedule tasks with –– Schedule high activity tasks for cooler parts of the day such as early morning (ie start early,
the weather in mind finish early).
–– If possible, plan high activity tasks for cooler times of the year.

Minimise physical –– Introduce mechanical aids (lifting aids etc) that reduce the physical demands on workers
effort required by in hot environments.
workers –– Rotate ‘hot’ tasks or physically demanding tasks amongst workers.

Consider clothing/ –– Make sure the lightest possible clothing is being worn.
PPE requirements –– Choose uniforms that are made from natural, breathable fibres.
–– Give workers a range of options with uniforms or other required clothing so they can add and
remove layers as needed to remain comfortable.
–– Relax uniform requirements (eg untuck shirt or roll up sleeves).
–– Make sure wherever possible that PPE is light and breathable while still providing appropriate
protection.
–– Encourage workers to remove PPE during rest breaks to allow sweat evaporation.

Educate workers –– Make sure workers know what options are available to them to help them manage their own
and supervisors thermal comfort.
–– Train workers, managers, supervisors, and forepersons in the signs and symptoms of heat
illnesses and injuries.
–– Make sure first aiders know how to respond to heat illnesses and injuries.

TABLE 2: Managing heat – indoor workplaces

16
Outdoor workplaces
Managing heat in outdoor workplaces is not as straight forward. Most controls involve reducing worker
exposure to heat sources.

THERMAL CONTROL EXAMPLES

Reduce exposure –– Where possible, provide shade from the sun while working.
to radiant heat –– Provide rest areas out of the sun.
–– Provide protection from solar heat and UV radiation, including:
-- sunhats
-- long sleeved clothing (loose fitting is best)
-- sun screen.
–– Shield workers from machinery that produces excessive heat.

Give workers time –– In hot weather schedule more frequent breaks to allow cooling off time. Break areas should be
to cool off shaded and out of the heat.
–– Provide cool drinking water.
–– Encourage workers to drink plenty of water.

Schedule tasks with –– Schedule high activity tasks for cooler parts of the day such as early morning (ie start early,
the weather in mind finish early).
–– If possible, plan high activity tasks for cooler times of the year.

Minimise physical –– Introduce mechanical aids (lifting aids etc) that reduce the physical demands on workers in hot
effort required by environments.
workers –– Rotate ‘hot’ tasks or physically demanding tasks amongst workers.

Consider clothing/ –– Make sure the lightest possible clothing is being worn.
PPE requirements –– Choose uniforms that are made from natural, breathable fibres.
–– Give workers a range of options with uniforms or other required clothing so they can add and
remove layers as needed to remain comfortable.
–– Make sure wherever possible that PPE is light and breathable while still providing appropriate
protection.
–– Encourage workers to remove PPE during rest breaks to allow sweat evaporation.

Educate workers –– Make sure workers know what options are available to them to help them manage their own
and supervisors thermal comfort.
–– Train workers, managers, supervisors, and forepersons in the signs and symptoms of heat
illnesses and injuries.
–– Make sure first aiders know how to respond to signs of heat illnesses and injuries.

TABLE 3: Managing heat – outdoor workplaces

17
 8.0
Managing cold at work
Indoor workplaces
There are many ways to manage the cold in indoor workplaces to maintain thermal comfort for workers.

THERMAL CONTROL EXAMPLES

Raise the air –– Install heating systems, either localised or general heating.
temperature –– Make sure heating systems do not give off dangerous fumes into the workplace (such as unflued
LPG heaters).
–– Install thermal insulation in buildings, this will reduce heat loss in winter.

Warm workers using –– Provide radiant or infrared heating. This is an economical method for warming workers in large
radiant heat work areas.

Reduce excess air –– Eliminate cold draughts.

movement and –– Reduce any excess air movement, but make sure there is still adequate ventilation.
draughts

Reduce time workers –– Schedule additional rest times to allow warming up time.
are exposed to cold –– Provide heated rest/break areas.
environments –– Rotate ‘cold’ tasks amongst workers.
–– Provide warm fluids for drinking such as hot drinks or soup.
–– Locate work activities in warmer parts of the building. For example, create a separate heated
area for sedentary administrative tasks in an unheated warehouse.

Consider clothing/ –– Make sure workers are suitably clothed for the conditions.
PPE requirements –– In extreme cold conditions (such as cool stores) make sure workers have extra protection such
as gloves and hats.
–– If the task requires fine manual work and gloves cannot be worn, the environment should be
warmed. This could be done locally using personal heating.
–– Provide insulated floor coverings and special footwear if workers have to stand for long periods
on cold floors.
–– Provide clothing that can be layered so workers can add or remove layers to stay comfortable
between low and high activity tasks.

Educate workers –– Make sure workers know what options are available to them to help them manage their own
and supervisors thermal comfort.
–– Train workers, managers, supervisors, and forepersons in the signs and symptoms of cold
illnesses and injuries.
–– Make sure first aiders know how to respond to signs of cold illnesses and injuries.

TABLE 4: Managing cold – indoor workplaces

18
Outdoor workplaces
Managing cold in outdoor workplaces is not as straight forward. Most controls involve protecting workers
from the cold rather than attempting to warm the work environment.

THERMAL CONTROL EXAMPLES

Reduce exposure –– Provide heated rest/break areas.

to cold –– Schedule additional rest breaks to allow warming up time.
–– Rotate ‘cold’ tasks amongst workers.
–– Provide personal heating inside the cabs of plant and machinery.

Allow workers –– Provide mobile facilities that are heated so workers can warm up during break times.
opportunities –– Provide warm fluids for drinking such as hot drinks or soup.
to warm up

Schedule tasks with –– Schedule outdoor work for warmer times of the day.
the weather in mind –– If possible, plan outdoor work for warmer times of the year.

Consider clothing/ –– Make sure workers have personal protective clothing suitable for the outdoor conditions.
PPE requirements For example, water proof clothing for wet environments and thermal lined clothing for cold
environments.
–– Provide clothing that can be layered so workers can add or remove layers to stay comfortable
between low and high activity tasks.

Educate workers –– Make sure workers know what options are available to them to help them manage their own
and supervisors thermal comfort.
–– Train workers, managers, supervisors, and forepersons in the signs and symptoms of cold
illnesses and injuries.
–– Make sure first aiders know how to respond to signs of cold illnesses and injuries.

TABLE 5: Managing cold – outdoor workplaces

19
20
Examples of managing thermal comfort in an indoor workplace.

Infrared radiant heating

Air vents
Insultating hot
plant and pipes
Building insulation

Large diameter
ceiling fan

Dehumidifier

Personal
desk fan

Heat shield

Mechnical lifting
aid (loading truck)

Air conditioning
Mechnical
lifting aid Reflective coating
First aid kit Water cooler on windows
 Examples of managing thermal comfort in outdoor workplaces.

Plan work for cooler times Plan work for warmer

(start early, finish early) times of day/year

Use mechanical aids

to reduce effort

Shaded
rest area

Personal
heating
inside cabs
https://www.audi.com/ci/en/renewed-brand.html
Cool
drinking
water

Protection SPF
50
from UV Sunscreen

radiation Heated
break
facilities

Provide
warm Facilities to
drinks dry clothes
and PPE

Breathable
clothing Clothing suitable
and PPE for cold/wet conditions

21
 9.0
PPE and
thermal comfort
PPE is the ‘last line of defence’ after all other reasonably practicable actions
have been taken to eliminate and minimise risks to workers from hazards
in the workplace.

Some PPE can reduce the body’s ability to evaporate sweat. If it is bulky or
heavy, it may contribute to an increase in heat being generated inside the body.

Wearing PPE in warm/hot environments with high work activity rates may cause
thermal discomfort and increase the risk of heat-related illness or injury.

Avoid making workers wear all PPE all the time if it is only needed for specific
tasks or when certain hazards are present. Excessive PPE requirements can
create unnecessary thermal discomfort.

In situations where PPE is causing thermal discomfort (but not creating a risk
of heat-related illness or injury) you could:
–– allow workers to work more slowly
–– rotate workers out of hot environments more frequently
–– allow longer recovery times before re-starting high activity tasks
–– provide facilities for PPE to be dried and cooled during breaks
so that it can be worn again without any retained heat or moisture
–– consider scheduling work to cooler times of the day or year
–– regularly revisit your work processes to see if they could be automated
or alternative systems of work/controls introduced
–– regularly re-evaluate your PPE options. More modern PPE may be lighter
and provide improved levels of protection and comfort.

See WorkSafe guide Personal protective equipment – a guide for businesses

for more information on PPE.

22
10.0
More
information
Worksafe guidance
Special guide
Introduction to the Health and Safety at Work Act

Quick reference guide

Health and Safety at Work

Quick guide
Identifying, assessing and managing work risks

Fact sheets
Reasonably practicable
Worker engagement
Personal protective equipment – a guide for businesses

Other guidance
Guidelines for the management of work in extremes of temperature

Legislation
Duty of care
Section 36 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015

Duty to engage with workers

Section 58 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015

Reasonably practicable
Section 22 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015

Links
HAZANZ register of workplace health and safety professionals
www.hasanz.org.nz

New Zealand Occupational Hygiene Society

www.nzohs.org.nz

23
Notes
Disclaimer

This publication provides general guidance. It is not possible for WorkSafe to address every situation that
could occur in every workplace. This means that you will need to think about this guidance and how to apply
it to your particular circumstances.

WorkSafe regularly reviews and revises guidance to ensure that it is up-to-date. If you are reading a printed
copy of this guidance, please check worksafe.govt.nz to confirm that your copy is the current version.

ISBN: 978-1-98-856735-8 (online)

Published: July 2019

PO Box 165, Wellington 6140, New Zealand

worksafe.govt.nz

Except for the logos of WorkSafe, this copyright work is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution-Non-commercial 3.0 NZ licence.

To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/nz

In essence, you are free to copy, communicate and adapt the work for non-commercial purposes,
as long as you attribute the work to WorkSafe and abide by the other licence terms.

WSNZ_3287_Jul 19
ISBN 978-1-98-856735-8 (online)

Level 6, 86 Customhouse Quay

PO Box 165, Wellington 6140
0800 030 040 worksafe.govt.nz