THE WORKPLACE is about to become more comfortable, thanks to a recently completed international study.

Professor Krzystof Cena from Murdoch University and Dr Richard de Dear of Macquarie University have just completed the final of four studies examining the thermal environments of offices in different climates.

“Indoor temperature is important as virtually all human activity is in office environments, including schools and houses,” said Professor Cena.

Currently only one temperature standard is internationally recommended by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), but this standard has little relevance to offices in different climates.

In order to provide more compre-hensive recommendations, four studies were conducted around the world to compare the thermal comfort levels of office environments in different climates including:

Cold: Montreal, Canada

Temperate: San Francisco, California

Hot/humid: Townsville, Queensland

Arid/dry: Kalgoorlie, Western Australia

Professor Cena and Dr de Dear investigated the final ‘hot/arid’ climate standard, testing approximately 1000 people working in Kalgoorlie over two summers and two winters.

The researchers measured the temperature and air drafts around each subject using a tailor-made machine, and assessed levels of job satisfaction and comfort levels in the office temperature.

Heat and humidity from chairs, walls, equipment and surrounding air were taken into account.

Results showed that job satisfaction is closely tied to a person’s perception of the temperature of the office environment.

“Subjects who scored below average on a job satisfaction scale were generally 50 per cent more likely to express dissatisfaction with thermal conditions,” said Professor Cena.

“This is vital information as corporations in the United States have estimated that providing an inadequate thermal environment in offices can cost up to 20 per cent of the annual budget, because people do not work as well.”

The study also revealed that the thermoneutrality (range of comfortable temperatures) varied significantly between different climates.

“People generally like what they are used to, with hot climate dwellers preferring slightly warmer temperatures (22.2ºC) than subjects tested in San Francisco.

“Also subjects in Kalgoorlie would tolerate larger office temperature variations between the seasons.

“Whereas San Francisco subjects prefer to wear the same thickness of clothing indoors all year, Kalgoorlie subjects would vary their clothing to adjust for temperature variations.”

The Kalgoorlie study estimated that 86 per cent of workers in air conditioned offices found the environment acceptable.

ASHRAE will release international recommen-dations later this year based on this data.