Too hot at work? How the SMARTtempmonitor kit turns complaints into reliable data

"It's too hot in here."

This is a common complaint during the summer—whether in an open-plan office, a production hall, a warehouse, or on the top floor of an administrative building. It is a complaint that should be taken seriously. However, the facts needed to make an informed decision are often missing: Where exactly is it getting too warm? At what time of day? How long does the heat persist? Does it affect individual workstations or entire areas? And does it only occur during a few peak hours or over several weeks?

A single measurement rarely answers these questions. It is merely a snapshot. To effectively prioritize sun protection, ventilation, air conditioning, organizational measures, or structural changes, you need a trend analysis and comparative data from several relevant zones.

How the BAuA classifies high room temperatures

The Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) refers to the Workplace Ordinance and the Technical Rule for Workplaces ASR A3.5 "Room Temperature." According to these, the air temperature in workrooms should not exceed +26 °C. For summer conditions with outdoor temperatures above +26 °C, the ASR describes a tiered model.

• Up to +30 °C: Under the conditions of the summer scenario, appropriate measures should be taken; special groups of people and specific workloads must be considered separately.

• Above +30 °C: Effective measures must be taken based on a risk assessment.

• Above +35 °C: Without measures similar to those for heat-intensive work, the room is unsuitable as a workspace while these temperatures persist.

Professional assessment is key: the indoor climate consists of more than just air temperature. Depending on the situation, humidity, air velocity, and thermal radiation, as well as the physical demands of the work, clothing, break schedules, and particularly vulnerable employees, are also relevant. Temperature data is therefore a central component, but not the entire risk assessment.

From subjective heat to reliable data trends

This is exactly where the SMARTtempmonitor kit from PSsystec comes in. Compact SMARTsens beacon TH wireless sensors record temperature and relative humidity in selected areas. The measured values are transmitted via Bluetooth Low Energy to the SMARTebox BLE. The gateway sends them to the IoT platform via mobile network—independent of the local IT infrastructure.

The web-based dashboard provides a central overview of locations, sensor status, current readings, active alarms, and historical trends. Upper and lower limits, as well as a delay, can be defined for each sensor. This ensures that not every brief spike triggers an immediate alarm. In the event of a sustained exceedance, designated recipients are notified via email and—depending on the configuration—via SMS. Measurement data can be exported for further analysis.

‍The kit at a glance

• SMARTebox BLE as a cellular gateway

• SMARTsens beacon TH for wireless measurement of temperature and relative humidity

• LTE antenna

• Cloud dashboard with history, status, and alerts. The number and placement of sensors are determined based on the areas to be monitored.

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Non-invasive. Plug-and-play. No local IT required.

The SMARTtempmonitor kit is particularly well-suited for existing buildings and temporary measurement campaigns. The compact, battery-powered sensors do not require any data cabling. The SMARTebox from the SMARTbox portfolio handles secure transmission via NB-IoT/LTE-M. This allows multiple building areas or locations to be monitored centrally without the need to set up local network access in advance.

This reduces installation and operating effort and facilitates a pragmatic start: place sensors, assign areas in the dashboard, and define limit values. Data collection and transmission then run automatically—no more daily on-site rounds to read individual sensors. This turns isolated complaints into a verifiable series of measurements.

Turning a complaint into a measurement strategy

• Select areas: Identify complaint hotspots, south and west facades, top floors, hall zones, storage areas, and reference rooms.

• Place sensors representatively: Avoid direct sunlight, heat sources, drafts, and atypical peripheral locations; consider measurement height and workstation usage.

• Define limits and delays: Align alarm levels with the operational measurement and action plan—do not derive them generically from a single numerical value.

• Compare over several weeks: Consider time of day, shift, weather conditions, usage, and building area together.

• Prioritize and verify measures: Use sun protection, ventilation schedules, organizational adjustments, or cooling precisely where the data shows the greatest need for action – and then measure the impact again.

Facts before you invest

The result is not a subjective snapshot, but a reliable operational data foundation. Facility management, occupational safety, operations management, and executive leadership can identify which areas are truly critical, how long threshold levels persist, and where measures will be most effective. At the same time, the works council and HR receive an objective basis for internal discussions.

The SMARTtempmonitor Kit does not cool a room. However, it makes it clear where and when action should be taken and whether a measure is actually effective later on. This exact transparency prevents blind investments.

Objectively assess temperature complaints

Monitor multiple areas in parallel, evaluate trends, and react specifically when thresholds are consistently exceeded.

View the SMARTtempmonitor Kit and request a consultation

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