Tips and information on dealing with heat

In accordance with occupational health and safety regulations, the following applies to all members of staff:

• When room temperatures exceed +30 °C, it is particularly important to ventilate rooms during the early morning hours, make use of available sun protection measures and, where possible, arrange breaks flexibly or take other appropriate measures.
• When room temperatures exceed +35 °C, a room without technical countermeasures is no longer considered as a suitable workspace.

We therefore ask you to consider the following:

• ventilating rooms (where possible) during the cooler parts of the day,
• making use of shading options,
• adjusting working hours within the framework of existing flexitime arrangements,
• where appropriate, relocating work activities to cooler rooms or working from home (in consultation with your line manager).

Please also ensure that you drink enough fluids, wear light clothing and be alert to any signs of heat stress in an overheated office. In particular, signs of heat exhaustion should be taken seriously so that immediate action can be taken.

Information on teaching

To ensure an appropriate learning and teaching environment, the following additional provisions applies to all teaching staff:

• From 12 noon onwards, all lecturers may, if room conditions make this necessary, conduct classes online.
• Alternatively, classes may be moved to cooler rooms or rescheduled, if this is organisationally feasible.
• If necessary, you may provide your students with the following guidance regarding examinations.

1. Travel and preparation: please allow sufficient time to reach the examination venue without stress and to acclimatise to the temperature conditions there.
2. Drinks: a water bottle (preferably transparent and without a label) is permitted in many examinations. Please check the relevant regulations.
3. Clothing: we recommend light, pale-coloured clothing made from breathable materials.

Please inform your students of any changes to the teaching format at the earliest opportunity.

Information on the symptoms of heat exhaustion and guidance on how to respond if a person shows such symptoms while at work can be found here [German only].

Further information

For more advice on coping with the heat, see this information from Bundesministerium für Gesundheit.

Please share this information with any colleagues who were not contacted directly. Thank you very much for your cooperation in promoting a health-conscious approach to the current high summer conditions!