Physiological Considerations for Maximum Indoor Temperatures
Read the workshop report in full
Introduction
The past three years (2022, 2023 and 2024) have been in the top 4 hottest years on record in the UK1. The 10 warmest years recorded in the UK have all been since 2003 and the UK recorded its first air temperatures of above 40 °C in 2022. During the extreme heat of summer 2022, there were an estimated 2,985 all-cause excess deaths, mostly among vulnerable populations which are likely to increase as a proportion of the overall UK population as the population ages. Exploring the evidence base for potentially establishing maximum temperature thresholds for indoor environments in the UK therefore is of increasing importance with hotter summers becoming more frequent and temperatures more extreme.
As a consequence of anthropogenic climate change and the health hazards it has exacerbated, we are seeing an increase in development of guidance and legislation focusing on maximum temperature thresholds within indoor working environments. The possibility of establishing maximum indoor temperature thresholds in the UK for a variety of vulnerable groups and settings is a complex challenge but one that public health professionals are increasingly grappling with.
Exploring the evidence for establishing maximum indoor temperatures
There is a need to include physiological considerations when assessing existing and evolving evidence on the health impacts of heat and the ability of individuals to mitigate these impacts in order to inform maximum permissible indoor temperature guidance.
The Physiological Society and UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) held a joint online workshop on Tuesday 3 December 2024, ‘Physiological Considerations for Maximum Indoor Temperatures’. It brought together 45 delegates from around the world, covering topics from existing evidence and current research efforts, to improving the interactions between thermophysiologists and executive government agencies with an interest in developing evidence and guidance in this area. While the primary focus of the workshop was indoor working environments, the open nature of the discussion meant that indoor residential environments were also discussed.