Workplace temperature requirements in the German Workplace Ordinance: revising the rule

The German Ordinance on Workplaces calls for a room temperature range beneficial to health. This requirement is specified in a revised version of the German Rule for Workplaces ASR A3.5 Room Temperature' applying for all kind of indoor workplaces. The former version of this rule laid down that the indoor air temperature shall not exceed 26 degrees C (79 degrees F). During a hot summer period with outside temperatures above 26 degrees C, the indoor air temperature may be higher as an exception. In view of misinterpretation of this former version, the aim was to explain how to deal with a high room temperature during a hot summer period in Germany. In comparison with the former version of this rule, the revised version defines the requirements for acceptable elevated room temperatures in the latter case high outside temperatures using a step model following the principle of the adaptive approach. This article explains the need for the revision, the development of the revised version including recent scientific findings and the new rule in detail.