For any cold environment a calculation can be made of the minimum clothing insulation required by workers (IREQ). Two studies are reported which investigated the role of the IREQ index in the design of working practices for cold indoor environments. Both studies utilized the IREQ index within a flow-chart design tool which aided the design of working practices within a cold environment.The first study used eight subjects conducting light arm tasks at 2°C within a laboratory thermal chamber. The IREQ index calculated clothing ensemble was applied as an initial attempt at providing thermal comfort All subjects experienced high levels of cold discomfort, primarily at the extremities. Subsequent additions of local clothing adjustment enhanced the basic clothing ensemble and greatly improved subject thermal comfort. An additional fixed period recovery allowance did not significantly improve subjects final thermal comfort vote.The second study was conducted within an industrial cool store. The flow-chart design tool was tested in the industrial situation as a means of providing thermal comfort. As in the laboratory experiments, thermal comfort was not achieved solely with the application of an IREQ calculated clothing ensemble. By following the flow-chart procedure, thermal comfort was eventually achieved with local clothing adjustment.The two studies suggest that the use solely of the IREQ index as a working practice may not be adequate to provide thermal comfort. The IREQ index was suggested as adequate initial protection against the strain induced on a worker from a cold environment. The design tool included the IREQ index as an initial indicator of cold stress; subsequent application of local clothing adjustment, followed by suitable general working practices were then required to achieve thermal comfor
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