Your Facility: Solving Winter Comfort Complaints

You want to keep your workplace as comfortable and productive as possible. The challenge is, no single temperature pleases everyone. As temperatures outdoors start to drop, comfort complaints indoor are often on the rise. If the comfort battle is starting to heat up in your facility, here are some tips you can use to keep your staff happier, more comfortable and more productive.

The temperature is never just right

Before we get to tips for dealing with complaints, it may help to know the most frequent complaints are folks are either too cold or (yes, even in winter) too hot. Winter brings out more complaints than summer and other problems like the air being too dry or too humid can make matters worse. The place of occupation correlates with some issues as well. Industrial and commercial kitchen settings are more often too hot, while office workers gripe the most about being cold.

To combat their conditions, workers employ appliances, like space heaters, which can gobble up the energy savings balanced heating systems are supposed to provide. Workers may also fail to dress properly, such as wearing heavy winter garments that make them feel hot.

Creating a more comfortable environment

While some complaints can't be mitigated, there are some ways to ease comfort issues.

First, set standards and communicate them to everyone. For example, the workplace temperatures setting will be 72°F for heating and no adjustments are made to vents or thermostats unless conditions are otherwise. Ban personal heaters, which not only rob you of energy savings, but can be a fire hazard. Keep a digital thermometer handy to check out temperature complaints.

Next, suggest employees keep sweaters or a light jacket handy to in case they feel cold. Likewise, suggest employees wear layers, so if they're too hot, they can remove one for better comfort.

Finally, take action where it makes sense. Check your building automation system. Make sure controls are tuned correctly for the season. Employees near windows often gripe the most. Make sure windows are properly sealed. If necessary, consider replacing older windows with newer, high-performance models that can keep out the cold.

If you're getting a lot of complaints in specific areas, take a closer look. Make sure HVAC vents are free of blockage by equipment or furniture. Move workstations around if necessary to accommodate employees. Leaving internal doors open where possible can sometimes help air circulate through a building more efficiently, keeping spaces at a more uniform temperature.

Get help

If you're getting too many complaints, call in a qualified HVAC professional. Issues such as ductwork leaks can throw your system off balance and reduce comfort. Also, have your heating system cleaned and inspected annually. With a small investment, you can keep your employees comfortable and productive and save energy.