The effects of gender, acclimation state, the opportunity to adjust clothing and physical disability on requirements for thermal comfort.

Presents a series of laboratory studies into thermal comfort requirements. Groups of 16 persons were used in two studies, to look at the effects of gender over three-hour exposures in simulated living room and office environments. Only small differences were found in the thermal comfort response of male and female subjects in identical clothing conditions, for neutral and slightly warm environments. In cool conditions, females felt the cold more than males. Behavioural studies were conducted for persons maintaining thermal comfort by adjusting their clothing. A temperature of 18 deg. C was found to be the limit. A study was also carried out between disabled and able-bodied persons and little difference in thermal comfort needs was found.