Workplace Temperature and Heat in Ireland: Employer Duties and HSA Guidance

Irish law sets a minimum temperature for some sedentary indoor work, but it does not set a maximum. That surprises many employers in Dublin and elsewhere when a hot spell arrives. The absence of a number does not mean any temperature is acceptable, and employers still have duties to keep the working environment appropriate and to assess risks. This guide sets out what the Irish sources say, what they leave open, and a practical way to handle both hot and cold conditions.

What the law says about workplace temperature

The main provision is regulation 7 ("Room temperature") of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007 (S.I. No. 299 of 2007). The HSA guide to Chapter 1 of Part 2 (Workplace) of the Regulations covers it. If you want the wider picture of the Regulations first, our overview of the General Application Regulations 2007 explains how the parts fit together.

On the Law Reform Commission's Revised Acts page, regulation 7 requires the employer to ensure that:

• during working hours, the temperature in rooms containing workstations is appropriate for human beings, having regard to the working methods used and the physical demands on employees;
• for sedentary office work, a minimum temperature of 17.5°C is achieved and maintained at every workstation after the first hour's work, so far as is reasonably practicable;
• for other sedentary work, a minimum of 16°C is achieved and maintained on the same basis;
• means are available for people at work to measure the temperature in any workplace inside a building;
• temperatures in rest areas, rooms for duty staff, sanitary facilities, canteens and first-aid rooms are appropriate for their purpose; and
• excessive effects of sunlight through windows, skylights and glass partitions are avoided, having regard to the type of work and the workplace.

Regulation 7 also says the 17.5°C and 16°C figures are dry bulb temperatures taken at the employee's working position, 1.1 metres above the floor. Check the current text on the Irish Statute Book before relying on any figure in a policy.

Is there a legal maximum temperature in Ireland?

No. The regulation 7 text we read contains no maximum temperature for workplaces. The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) guide to Chapter 1 of Part 2 of the Regulations (published December 2007) says so directly, and adds that the fact that a maximum has not been specified "does not mean that any temperature is acceptable".

The same guide makes two further points worth knowing:

• It describes the minimum figures as not being comfort temperatures. It suggests that, for most people, an acceptable temperature for office work lies in the range of 18 to 23°C. This is a suggestion in guidance, not a legal limit.
• Where temperatures are high or uncomfortable, especially where this is not just a temporary weather effect, the guide says a means of cooling should be provided.

The HSA guide is dated December 2007 and states that it is not a legal interpretation of the legislation. Check the current position with the HSA before relying on the 18 to 23°C range.

The sources we read also do not set: a temperature at which work must stop, a maximum number of hours in heat, a required number of breaks in hot weather, or a legal duty to send staff home. If a source does not set a rule, do not assume one exists. What is left is the general duty to manage the risk, covered below.

The general duties that apply when it is too hot or too cold

Alongside regulation 7, the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 applies. Section 8 requires employers to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the safety, health and welfare at work of their employees. Its examples include managing the workplace so that it is safe and without risk to health, and providing facilities and arrangements for welfare. Section 19 requires employers to identify hazards and assess risks in writing, to review the assessment when there is a significant change or reason to think it is no longer valid, and to implement any improvements that are considered necessary.

In practice, heat and cold are hazards like any other. If they are a realistic risk in your workplace, they belong in your risk assessment and, where relevant, your safety statement. Our guide to the safety statement and risk assessment under the 2005 Act covers how those documents work.

Ventilation, sunlight and insulation

Temperature is not dealt with in isolation. According to the HSA guide and the Revised Acts page for regulation 6, employers must provide enough fresh air in enclosed workplaces, keep forced ventilation systems in working order, and ensure air-conditioning or mechanical ventilation does not cause uncomfortable draughts. The Revised Acts page for regulation 6 also notes a 2023 amendment about taking account of any relevant code of practice; we have not reviewed that code here.

The HSA guide also refers to regulation 9, which covers adequate thermal insulation for workplaces, with an exemption for places in use before 31 December 1992 except for later modifications. For hot conditions, regulation 7's reference to excessive sunlight through windows, skylights and glass partitions is a practical hook: blinds, film or shading may help where a particular area overheats.

Working in the cold

Some work needs low temperatures, for example cold storage or some food handling. Regulation 7 says that where a temperature below 16°C is necessary because of process requirements, the employer must assess the risks and take the necessary measures to protect the safety, health and welfare of employees.

The HSA guide mentions measures such as task rotation, local heating, heated rest facilities and protective clothing. It also refers to advice from the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists that special hand protection be considered if fine work has to be done with bare hands for more than 10 to 20 minutes in an environment below 16°C. This is guidance, not an Irish legal requirement. The guide also warns that temporary heaters can cause burns from hot surfaces and that no heating method should release harmful or offensive fumes into a workroom.

Working in the heat

For hot conditions, the sources we could open give less detail. The HSA guide's main points are those above: temperature must be appropriate, a maximum not being set does not make any temperature acceptable, and cooling should be provided where heat is not just temporary. For outdoor work, the HSA has published a SunSmart employee information sheet on protecting skin. It covers ultraviolet radiation rather than heat stress. It suggests planning tasks to avoid peak UV hours, taking breaks in shade, and covering exposed skin. It does not address hot weather or heat illness, so check the HSA site for current guidance on heat.

The Irish government's "Heat and heat waves" page (undated) describes an Irish heatwave as a daily maximum shaded air temperature above 25°C for five or more consecutive days, and notes that Met Éireann issues high temperature warnings. It gives no advice specific to employers. It is public information, not a workplace legal threshold.

A practical approach to temperature risk assessment

Our suggestion: treat this as a short, repeatable check rather than a one-off. None of the following is presented as a legal requirement.

• Identify where heat or cold is a real risk. Offices with glazed south-facing areas, kitchens, laundries, plant rooms, vehicles, warehouses, cold stores and outdoor work are common examples.
• Provide thermometers and check them. Regulation 7 requires that means to measure indoor temperature are available. Note readings at the working position, as the regulation describes.
• Ask employees. Complaints from the same area, or from particular groups, are useful evidence for your assessment.
• Consider individual circumstances. Some employees may be more affected than others, for example those who are pregnant. See our guide to risk assessment for pregnant employees in Ireland.
• Choose controls in a sensible order. Fix the cause where you can (shading, ventilation, heating or cooling equipment), then adjust the work (timing, rotation, breaks), then consider clothing or other measures.
• Write down what you decide. Keep a brief note of the trigger conditions, controls and who is responsible, and review it after a hot or cold spell or when the workplace changes.
• Check more than one location. Different floors, orientations and rooms in the same building can behave very differently, so do not rely on a single reading.

Where the Irish sources are silent, as they are on heat thresholds, check whether the HSA has published newer guidance before you set an internal policy.

Learnsignal's offices are off Baggot Street in Dublin, and we offer in-person training from there. For current details, see our CPD pages.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a maximum workplace temperature in Ireland?

Not in the General Application Regulations 2007 text we read. The HSA guide says a maximum has not been specified, but that this does not mean any temperature is acceptable. Employers must still keep temperatures appropriate for human beings and manage the risk.

What is the minimum temperature for an office?

Regulation 7 sets a minimum of 17.5°C for sedentary office work, measured at the workstation after the first hour's work, so far as is reasonably practicable. For other sedentary work it is 16°C. Check the current text on the Irish Statute Book.

Can employees refuse to work when it is too hot?

The sources we read do not set a temperature at which employees may refuse to work or must be sent home. Separately, section 27 of the 2005 Act restricts an employer from penalising an employee who, in circumstances they reasonably believed to be serious and imminent danger, leaves work or refuses to return to a dangerous workplace while the danger continues. Whether a particular hot or cold workplace meets that test depends on the facts, so ask the HSA for guidance on specific cases. Our suggestion, not a legal requirement: deal with concerns through your risk assessment and normal consultation arrangements.

Do we need air-conditioning?

The HSA guide says a means of cooling should be provided where temperatures are high or uncomfortable and the cause is not just temporary weather. It does not say that air-conditioning is the only option; shading, ventilation and changes to work patterns may also help. If you do use air-conditioning, regulation 6 says it must not cause uncomfortable draughts.

Where do we record temperature risks?

In your written risk assessment under section 19 of the 2005 Act, with relevant controls reflected in your safety statement.

If you are unsure what applies to your premises, start with a simple walk-through, record the readings, and ask the HSA for guidance where the sources are silent.