Czech Health Ministry Proposing Lower Temperatures at Workplace

In response to the energy crisis, the Ministry of Health is proposing to reduce the minimum permissible temperatures in the working environment.

As iRozhlas reports, for drivers, workers on assembly lines, or cashiers, the temperature should drop from the current 18 to 16 degrees Celsius. It should drop from 20 to 18 degrees in changing rooms, from 22 to 19 degrees in washrooms, from 25 to 19 degrees in showers and from 18 to 15 degrees in toilets.

The draft amendment to the Occupational Health Regulation will be discussed by the government on Monday.

“The main reason is to revise the legal framework in relation to minimum temperature requirements in the workplace in view of the current situation. Natural gas supplies are being reduced and interrupted, when a further increase and persistence of the energy crisis is expected,” the ministry said in a memorandum.

The current set temperatures date back to 2007. “It is a temperature that no one is allowed to low,” added Válek.

According to him, the ministry consulted sanitation workers and compared the proposal with other countries. According to Válek, the recommended temperatures have not changed for a long time, so they do not reflect global warming.” “I assume that many institutions, such as hospitals and facilities for seniors would not be expected to meet these norms, and simply have higher temperature,” the minister added.

The change is proposed by the ministry for category 1 work, i.e. sitting with minimal whole-body activity, and category 2a sitting with light manual work.

Category 1, which includes office, administrative or laboratory work, proposes a decrease from the current minimum temperature of 22 to 18 degrees. For category 2a, which includes drivers, cashiers or assembly of light parts, the temperature may drop from 18 to 16 degrees.