Vol. 456 No. 3
140 Miss Quill asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment the plans, if any, he has to amend legislation to provide for maximum temperatures above which people are not expected to work, in line with the provision for minimum temperatures which is already legislated for, in view of the large number of modern developments incorporating a lot of glass. [13752/95]
Workplace temperature is governed by the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Applications) Regulations, 1993, (S.I. No. 44 of 1993) which are made under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 1989, and which, inter alia, implement EU Council Directive 89/654/EEC of 30 November 1989, concerning the minimum safety and health requirements for the workplace. The regulations require that during working hours the temperature in rooms containing work stations shall be adequate for human beings, having regard to the working methods used and the physical demands placed on employees.
The regulations further require that in workplaces used for the first time after 31 December 1992 or which undergo modifications, extensions or conversions after that date, windows, skylights and glass partitions shall allow excessive effects of sunlight to be avoided, having regard to the nature of the work and of the place of work.
Although the regulations do not specify maximum or minimum temperatures, I am informed that the National Authority for Occupational Safety and Health, which is responsible for their enforcement, advises employers and workers about the temperatures that would be considered appropriate to particular work activities and circumstances and the control measures which may be necessary.
The authority is currently preparing guidelines to assist employers in complying with the regulations. The authority expects to publish these guidelines in the near future.
