What's with The Arctic Temps - Office, Buses, Trains

skywards on 08/02/2018 - 11:25

So I work in professional services in the inner suburbs of Brisbane and I've noticed lately that the trains, buses and especially in the office is blasting with air con. They got me a temperature gauge, record the temperature every hour and it's currently sitting at 21.6 degrees. Apparently the offices next door is using heaters to keep warm.

My boss suggested she get me an electric blanket!?!

Layering, thermals, winter coat and scarf will suffice for now, although looks a bit silly especially in the middle of summer.

Education & Work

Comments

  • ChillBro on 08/02/2018 - 11:31
    +8

    21.6 degrees C = arctic?

    Guess it's all relative though. I personally prefer lower temperatures since it helps you concentrate at work and also sleep better.

    • tomclancy on 08/02/2018 - 12:47
      +11

      username checks out

    • ilikeradiohead on 08/02/2018 - 14:33
      +5

      21C definitely helps me sleep at my desk.

    • thord on 09/02/2018 - 09:38

      Yeah, this is ridiculous. It's hot as shit outside, 21.6 degrees is good comfortable temperature.

  • [Deactivated] on 08/02/2018 - 11:39
    +12

    21 degrees sounds lovely. my office floats between 24 and 26

    • coco1458 on 08/02/2018 - 12:04
      +5

      I'd feel a sweat coming on a 26 degrees, sounds slightly uncomfortable

      • [Deactivated] on 08/02/2018 - 15:42

        it is uncomfortable

  • redpump on 08/02/2018 - 11:58

    21C is freezing! I was sitting on my desk with a thermometer at 23C and was freezing (possibly due to 19C of air coming down on me freezing me as it tries to cool the rest of the office. I have the unit above my head). Like icy fingers and double jackets and still being cold.

    Talked to management and now sitting pretty with a jacket on at 25C on my desk.

  • retiredfeline on 08/02/2018 - 12:03
    +7

    Are you female OP? Reason is it's been found that women prefer a slightly higher temp than men, and the recommended air-con settings were designed with men in mind decades ago.

    Here's one article: http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-33760845

  • Seraphin7 on 08/02/2018 - 12:12
    +1

    I'd agree 21.6 is slightly cool, but only by a degree or so. This concept that offices should be 25-26 degrees sounds great, until everyone starts sweating up in the place, especially after being outside in 30+ degree heat. This might be OK in casual clothing that dissipates heat more quickly, but in an office environment with thicker fabrics, greater skin coverage, etc., not so good.

  • Nugs on 08/02/2018 - 12:13
    -1

    wt a f?

  • scrimshaw on 08/02/2018 - 12:24
    +2

    I thrive in 21 deg. Would actually prefer to sleep at that temperature.

  • Davo1111 on 08/02/2018 - 12:48

    21 degree is just an indication, depends where the sensor is located, and how close you are to the actual cold air output.

    I do agree with you though, it can get cold at work.

    Get a jumper. thats what i did today actually.

  • Ryanek on 08/02/2018 - 13:05

    I'm willing to bet a computer is sitting below your office thermostat and giving off a false reading.

  • onetwothreefour on 08/02/2018 - 13:10

    The temperature should always be a bit on the colder side as you can always put more clothes on if you are too cold but can't keep taking clothes off if you are too warm.

    • KaTst3R on 08/02/2018 - 13:57
      +2

      Cant wait to see people walking around in boardshorts and bikinis in the office. I should go increase the temperature.

  • Peter Enis on 08/02/2018 - 13:14
    +1

    Sitting below an aircon vent can be freezing because the cold air will drop straight down on you. If you have the luxury of moving desks, try another desk. I've had to do that before.

  • iforgotmysocks on 08/02/2018 - 13:28
    +3

    I sit directly below an air con vent and it's glorious.

  • dust on 08/02/2018 - 14:30
    +2

    I love the artic temps. I'm the complete opposite and frequently find my workplace, trains, busses not cold enough.

  • ilikeradiohead on 08/02/2018 - 14:35

    The thermometer I have next to my desk is showing just under 23 and I'm a little chilly, borderline putting a sweater on. I think at 21 I'd be fully rugged up haha.

  • dcep on 08/02/2018 - 14:37

    grow some furs

  • havebeerbelywillsumo on 08/02/2018 - 14:39

    With the OP on this one, loath what appears to be the fashion for freezing aircon everywhere.

  • slow on 08/02/2018 - 14:58

    My office is also too cold for me, but I would rather have that anyday over too hot.
    I just put on a jumper - problem solved

  • El Grande on 08/02/2018 - 15:22

    I use 20C (cooling) and 22C (heating). It's not cold.

  • lainey13 on 08/02/2018 - 21:10
    +1

    Because temperatures are set by men in suits.

  • Nugs on 09/02/2018 - 08:08

    OH&S

    http://www.ohsrep.org.au/hazards/call-centres/offices-temper…

    it has a few 'ranges'.

    The code states: "Optimum comfort for sedentary work is between 20°C and 26°C, depending on the time of year and clothing worn."

    Mostly, it should be about 21 or 22 degrees, and it is suggested that this would be a good place to start.

    .

    • Solarlux on 09/02/2018 - 09:56
      +3

      No one sees that damn elephant in the room!!! Every degree cooler uses twice the power of the previous degree of cooling. More power more CO2. More CO2 more greenhouse effect. More greenhouse effect more heat. More heat more air-conditioning. More air-conditioning more power used…
      25 degrees is fine in summer. 20 degrees in winter. Modify what you wear to suit the office climate.
      I agree cooler is necessary for good sleep but we shouldn't be sleeping at work. And for gods sake all you Queenslanders discover deodorant, I am sick and tired of all the BO whenever I visit your state.

  • skywards on 09/02/2018 - 10:06

    Yes I am female.

    The temperature gauge has gone to 22.3 degrees, although one degree does not make any difference, the extra layer of clothing does not help. It's ok, I have the whole weekend to defrost.

  • Scorpex on 09/02/2018 - 11:05
    +1

    So much talk of a power supply crisis, especially here in SA. It is, more correctly, a power consumption crisis. Unnecessary refrigerated cooling of vast spaces - large homes with high heat gain, vaulted office spaces etc etc. My partner freezes in her office environment in summer. I'm a fan of fans!

  • HeWhoKnows on 09/02/2018 - 12:23
    +2

    Should be set at 23. More comfortable for everyone and less energy wasted

  • Sensiekatie on 09/02/2018 - 12:40

    I have worked in 2 places in Brisbane where air-conditioning was a big problem.

    1 was a poorly designed building (air-con design) and the 2 sensors in our area were in the wrong places. 1 in the corridor near and fire escape end where there was no air conditioning . The file room door was always open as we went in there so much. No people sitting working there!

    The other was in the reception area - large and 2 people work there. This got afternoon sun and really heated up.

    Meanwhile there were 2 rooms of assessors - 6-10 in each. We felt as though we were in refrigerators and got frequent colds all year round. All those computers failed to heat us up! We were all women - interestingly.

    They tried to change the way the air flow from the vents but they would not change the thermostat setting to above 24. They said that the computers would suffer. They would not check the temperatures in our rooms - where the computers actually were.

    The other end only had 2 people - 1 who was hardly there. It had less problems.

    Downstairs was a different organisation but we were always referring our clients to them so there was communication between us. They suffered the same problems and there were more males down there.

    The other place was an office building of a very large hospital. It had formerly been wards, A & E, ICU, theatre etc. we were in the section that had been ICU.

    It is standard to keep certain areas of hospitals quite cool -for the equipment.

    Our floor had 2 wings - each totally open plan with a couple of offices. Our sections were divided by barriers and each pod was totally unrelated to the others.

    The air-conditioning was so cold and all pods were complaining except 1. We eventually found out after quite a shill dhy we suffered.

    This 1 pod had a woman with the most senior pay grade - Professor actually and her section was vital to all research. She was suffering from hot flushes and had made a request to reduce the thermostat setting. So fhecwas comfortable and the rest of us did not matter. I am talking about 80 or so people - not just a few!

  • terrys on 09/02/2018 - 17:36

    20 degrees is "standard" lab temperature, and a commonly accepted standard for "room temperature" in most parts of the world I have lived in. It's a little warm if you are actually doing any work - I have worked unloading a spray-coat line in 39 degree heat, but my preference if I am actually doing anything is ~ 18 degrees.

    • SlartiBartFozz on 09/02/2018 - 23:45

      To clarify, by 'doing anything' you mean physical work with exertion, which is often sweat-producing activity ~18-19C would be great for most jobs like that, many gyms I use keep temperatures around that for comfort and to ensure minimal odour.

  • SlartiBartFozz on 09/02/2018 - 23:47

    Office workers, who sit most of the day at a desk with very little physical movement in everything they do, where ~23-24C is optimal. For meeting spaces, high traffic areas / entry lobbies and space where occupants are standing for any length of time, a middle temperature of ~20-21C is ideal.

    This disparity in most office buildings, public transport and the like, is largely due to the fact that air conditioning does not cool spaces efficiently (most ducted conditioning systems blow chilled air into pockets of a room, rather than layering across like a blanket which gives better comfort and coverage), and more often than not fail to account for the different parts of a building or open plan space to consider usage and the users movement or standing/siting position.

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