The microclimate in work environments

Microclimate: meaning and impact on workers’ health.

In the context of workplace environments, microclimate refers to the set of climatic conditions existing in the immediate vicinity of the ground or in a small area of the Earth’s surface. By contextualizing the definition, we can describe microclimate in a closed environment by examining temperature, humidity, air currents, and fluctuations. Consequently, an unfavorable professional microclimate can pose risks to workers; resulting discomfort can significantly impact both the physical health and psychological well-being of employees, with consequential effects on the company’s economy reflected in days of absence or illness.

In addition, the subjective component of the risk associated with the microclimate should not be underestimated, especially in spaces frequented by multiple individuals where tensions and moods often arise due to the different perceptions each person has of the environmental conditions. Disagreements can escalate, even though they are not directly linked to the microclimate, but are an evident and significant consequence. It has also been established that, to avoid “microclimatic discomfort” leading to a decline in mental and physical performance and cold-related damage, special attention must be paid to the possible cooling of three parts of the body: hands, feet, and head.

However, it is not always easy to balance and blend these three characteristics optimally, as they vary greatly depending on the nature of the workplace and the activities carried out there. Regulating conditions in a closed workspace primarily dedicated to office activities is simpler compared to work situations that involve continuous physical activity in perhaps expansive spaces, such as large warehouses, hangars, or extensive industrial settings, or expose workers to highly adverse climatic conditions, as in the case of activities performed in cold environments with low temperatures.