Office heating broken? The minimum workplace temperature
The law says the temperature in a workplace must be reasonable during working hours. HSE’s code of practice puts a number on that: at least 16°C in most workplaces, or at least 13°C where the work involves severe physical effort. There is no legal maximum. When the heating fails, the employer is expected to take reasonable steps to keep people warm while it is repaired, and to get it repaired.
What the law says
The rule is regulation 7 of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992. It says the temperature in all workplaces inside buildings must be reasonable during working hours, and that enough thermometers must be provided for people to check it.
The figures come from HSE’s Approved Code of Practice for those regulations (L24):
| Kind of work | Guide minimum |
|---|---|
| Offices, shops, restaurants and most indoor work | 16°C |
| Work involving severe physical effort | 13°C |
| Any work | No legal maximum; the employer assesses the risk |
The 16°C and 13°C figures are a guide to what is reasonable, not a line that automatically sends staff home. But a workplace that sits well below them for days, with nothing done about it, is hard to call reasonable.
When the heating fails
Check the simple things first
Before anyone calls an engineer, it is worth a few minutes to check:
- the time clock and thermostat settings, especially after the clocks change or a power cut
- that the boiler has power, and whether its display shows a fault code
- the pressure gauge on the boiler or the plant room, and what it reads
- whether other gas appliances in the building are working
Write down the fault code and the pressure reading. They tell the engineer what to bring. If the boiler has locked out, reset it once at most. A boiler that locks out again has a fault, and resetting it repeatedly can hide what is wrong. Never take covers off gas appliances; that is for a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Keep people warm in the meantime
Reasonable steps while the repair is arranged include:
- portable electric heaters, checked and safe, placed away from walkways
- moving people to warmer parts of the building, or letting them work from home where the work allows
- relaxing the dress code and allowing more breaks for hot drinks
- adjusting hours on the coldest mornings
Do not bring portable gas heaters into an office to cover a breakdown. They burn inside the room, and in an occupied workspace they add a carbon monoxide risk.
Who arranges the repair
In a building with one business in it, the business usually arranges the repair. In a multi let building heated by a central boiler, the landlord or the managing agent normally does, and each tenant reports the fault to them. The lease decides it. For how that works, see who is responsible for gas safety in a commercial building.
Stopping it happening
Most winter breakdowns start as small faults that a service would have found. A yearly service before the heating season, ideally in September or October, is the simplest protection. A building with a plant room or several boilers is better on planned maintenance, with visits booked ahead. See how often commercial gas appliances should be serviced.
Heating repairs for London offices
Neos Engineering repairs commercial boilers and heating across London, and a breakdown can be reported 24 hours a day. A business call out is £150 + VAT (£180 inc VAT) for the first hour, including finding the fault, then charged by the half hour; between 10pm and 8am it is twice the standard rate. Details are on our commercial boiler service and repair page, and how we work with offices on our offices page.
If you need us
Rather just ask an engineer?
Call any hour, email us, or get a price in under a minute. The hourly rate is confirmed when you book. A call out is charged by the hour, and a return visit or further work is quoted first.