Temperature and work performance

By Sara Israfilbayova

The internal balance of the human body largely depends on external conditions. The microclimate of the room, in which a person is for a long time, plays an essential role in the formation of immunity, efficiency and the ability to comfortably relax.

The longer we stay in this or that place, the stronger it is able to interfere with the work of our body. That is why it is important to correctly determine which heating equipment is right for your premises and the conditions of its operation.

Room temperature is the most important indicator of comfort. The humidity also directly depends on the temperature. Low temperatures provoke heat release by the human body, thereby reducing its protective functions. If the room is equipped with poor-quality heating equipment or heating equipment is not selected correctly, people will constantly suffer from hypothermia, frequent colds, infectious diseases and etc.

A very high temperature in the room (more than 30 °C) entails no less problems. Fighting heat takes salt out of the body. This situation is also fraught with a decrease in immunity, a violation of the water-salt balance, which regulates the operation of many systems in the body.

In addition, the temperature in the room affects the performance of a person. Neither the heat nor the cold will allow you to work comfortably and rest. For an active person, rest is no less important than work. After all, during sleep, for example, our body actively restores the resources of the brain, muscles, etc. consumed in the process of work. A good sleep is a pledge of good health and high performance at work. Therefore, it is necessary to take care of the microclimate equally at work and at home.

The researchers from the University of Leiden in the Netherlands say that if the employee in the office is too cool or hot, the performance of his work is significantly reduced.

Researchers warn employers that the habit of certain temperature conditions should be taken into account when hiring qualified staff. Comfortable air temperature contributes to good mental performance and vice versa. The temperature regime has the greatest influence on the working memory, responsible for the storage and processing of information in the short term.

In the experiment, 2 groups of volunteers took part: a warmer temperature lovers and lovers of coolness. All participants performed test tasks to determine the state of short-term memory. Testing took place at different temperatures: 25, 15 and 20 °C. It turned out that working at a temperature comfortable for the subject contributes to a better effect of short-term memory. Conversely, when a fan of coolness was placed in heat, and "heat-loving" in the cold, the working memory of the participant in the experiment deteriorated considerably.