How To Create The Perfect Working Environment

Irrespective of occupation, no one wants to wake up in the morning filled with dread about spending the day working in a freezing building or sweltering office coupled with unsanitary conditions. Factors like these can stifle productivity, motivation, and even place your employees at harm.

There are several things you can do, however, to maximise good working conditions throughout your premises.

This extensive guide provides you with all the essential information you’ll need to create a safe and comfortable working environment all year round.

Prioritise hygiene at the workplace

Ensuring your workplace prioritises hygiene and cleanliness is key to creating a positive working space. This is a simple way to increase employee satisfaction and guarantee a pleasant working environment.

Here are some easy ways you can keep your premises looking spotless:

• Establish a regular cleaning routine. Make sure bathrooms, workstations and the general office space are being cleaned consistently.
• Keep windows clear to allow staff to enjoy natural light.
• Keep the bins clean and regularly emptied – the last thing you want is overflowing rubbish littering your buildings.
• Schedule regular deep cleaning to remove hidden dirt.
• Provide adequate toiletries so there’s no excuse for poor hygiene. These include hand sanitiser, tissues, paper towels, sanitary products etc.

Declutter work spaces

Cluttered working environments can reduce motivation, cause confusion and increase the chances of accidents. Maintaining premises that are clean and tidy guarantees a more peaceful, relaxed atmosphere. Rather than operating in a state of chaos, workers can find objects and documents more easily – this tends to boost productivity.

Here’s how you can create a more organised workplace and reduce unnecessary hazards:

• Encourage employees to regularly clean and organise their desks and workstations. Make sure tools and equipment are packed away at the end of the day, and that nothing is left lying around to cause trips and slips.
• Create different work zones – consider segmenting your work zones into a computer work station and a non-computer based work space. This is a great way of minimising mess and distractions.
• Arrange items and documents in offices and workstations practically, on the basis of how regularly they are used. Place your most frequently used items in the top shelves and desk drawers (such as chargers and notebooks), where access is quick and easy. Keep your least used items furthest away from you.
• Establish an effective waste management system – make sure recyclable and non-recyclable items are placed in the correct bins.
• Make the most of storage boxes and containers – these can be stored under desks and in cupboards to clear up available space.
• Digitise your notes and documents. This is a great way to reduce paper-based clutter; documents can easily be scanned and converted to digital files.

Keep your buildings heated throughout winter

Working in cold, uninsulated buildings can be detrimental to your health and can also cause maintenance problems.

Here are just a few of the risks of not heating your buildings properly during the colder months:

• Working in cold buildings can cause uncomfortable physical symptoms, such as pain and loss of feeling to the hands and feet. In extreme cases, excessive cold exposure can lead to frostbite.
• Working in cold temperatures can also lead to a lowering of the body temperature, which can cause problems with concentration, tiredness and an increased risk of accidents.
• Spending too much time in cold, damp environments can increase your blood pressure and risk of cardiovascular disease. It can also diminish your resistance to respiratory diseases.
• Your mental health can also be affected. Excessive exposure to cold conditions can worsen existing mental health problems like depression and anxiety.
• Cold environments can produce mould, which causes a range of health risks like asthma and respiratory illnesses – many of which are now being more widely reported on.

While there’s small things you can do to reduce these issues, such as closing doors to preserve the heat and making sure your employees are having regular warm drinks and eating at least one hot meal a day, it’s important to take a wider approach to ensure your buildings are sufficiently heated throughout winter. The Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) approved code of practice to the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 requires the minimum temperature in indoor workplaces to be 16 ̊C or 13 ̊C where the nature of the work is physical. To help meet this standard, you should consult a company that offers heating services.

Mitchell’s offers bespoke heating systems, alongside a dedicated team of expert heating engineers who are committed to helping you keep your buildings warm. We’re determined to be the only heating company that you’ll ever need in Gloucester – our services are available on a one-off basis, or they can alternatively be bundled into other service offerings for a more cost-effective solution.

We also understand the importance of implementing sustainable practices throughout local businesses, which is why we’re encouraging you to install new, more efficient heating systems throughout your premises to help reduce your carbon footprints. Mitchell’s is currently involved in installing air-source heat pumps in Gloucester, which can help to reduce power consumption and keep a building operating in greener territory. With our help, your heating system can operate more efficiently and with better energy marks for a brighter, greener future.

Maintain your air con efficiently during summer

Similarly to working in cold, damp buildings, running operations in overwhelming heat can also cause numerous problems. Working in extreme heat in both indoor and outdoor environments can be dangerous, as well as highly uncomfortable. Everyone has a different tolerance to high temperatures, and it’s important to be mindful of those who might struggle during the summer months.

Here are just a few of the risks associated with working in hot environments:

• High temperatures increase the likelihood of fatigue, which often leads to more accidents. As temperatures rise people sweat without moving, stress levels increase, concentration levels fall, mistakes become more frequent, productivity goes down and accident levels rise.
• In hot conditions, you’re more likely to be susceptible to dizziness, fainting, or even heat cramps. Groups who may be more vulnerable to this include young people, pregnant women and the disabled.
• If you are doing manual work there is a greater loss of fluids leading to dehydration and potential heat stress as the core body temperature rises.

These hazards make it imperative to ensure measures are in place to keep employees safe. There is no legal maximum temperature for working indoors, although the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 state that temperatures within workplaces must be reasonable. To match this, you as an employer must ensure that measures are in place to prevent temperatures from soaring. Encouraging workers to stay hydrated, wear appropriate clothing, and reducing the time employees are required to wear PPE can help. Additionally, you should provide good ventilation through the installation of air conditioning units.

If you’re looking for air conditioning installation in Gloucester for your commercial or industrial building, look no further than Mitchell’s. We have the knowledge and experience to create a bespoke air conditioning solution that meets all of your requirements. For new commercial developments, we are able to ensure a smooth design and installation process by working in close cooperation with architects, consultants and project managers, either as the lead HVAC engineers or in a consultancy capacity ourselves. Our highly skilled team is comprised of talented individuals who possess an in-depth knowledge of the latest technologies and who are intimately familiar with all the design software packages currently in use. You can rest assured that Mitchell’s cost-effective services will be carried out to the highest standard.

If you’ve found yourself Googling ‘air conditioning installation Gloucester’, ‘heating services Gloucester’ or ‘heating and air conditioning repair gloucester’, get in touch with the experts at Mitchell’s. From construction projects to remodelling and routine maintenance, we specialise in providing top commercial building services that cater to individual client needs. Contact us today to find out how we can help you.