Cold work areas in hospitals: cath labs, pharmacies, labs and morgues
Many hospital areas outside the operating room run cold by design: interventional suites protect equipment and gowned staff, pharmacy cleanrooms control contamination, laboratories and storage areas protect specimens and medicines, and decedent care rooms are refrigerated. Staff in these areas stay warm by layering within each area's garbing rules, adding core warmth, limiting time in the coldest spaces and taking warm breaks.
Why are so many hospital areas cold?
Hospital temperatures are set for patients, processes and products, not only for staff comfort. Operating rooms follow ASHRAE Standard 170, which specifies a design range of 68°F to 75°F. Other areas have their own reasons to run cool: heavy equipment that produces heat, garbing that traps heat, contamination control, and products that must be refrigerated.
The result is that staff in several departments spend long shifts in air that feels cold, or move repeatedly between warm corridors and refrigerated spaces.
Cath labs and interventional suites
Catheterization and interventional radiology suites combine imaging equipment, procedure lighting and staff in heavy radiation protection. Lead aprons add both weight and insulation. A 2026 study in Atmosphere predicted that 75% of male surgeons wearing 7.5 kg lead aprons would be uncomfortably warm in a room at 20.5°C, which illustrates why these spaces are often kept cool.
The staff who are not in lead, such as nurses at monitoring stations or technologists at control consoles, experience the same cool air without the insulation. Their experience resembles that of anesthesia clinicians in the OR: sedentary, lightly dressed and near airflow.
Because lead aprons are heavy and warm, adding more insulation for the scrubbed team is rarely helpful. The practical answer is two sets of solutions in one room: cooling or lighter under layers for staff in lead, and warm layers for staff at the consoles and monitoring stations.
Pharmacy cleanrooms and compounding areas
Sterile compounding follows USP General Chapter 797, which sets requirements for personnel, training, facilities, environmental monitoring and garbing. Cleanroom garb covers most of the body, and many cleanrooms are kept cool, in part because full garb traps heat.
Staff may be warm while fully garbed and cold once they step out, or during long stretches of low-activity work. Layers must be compatible with the facility's garbing procedure, so check what is permitted under cleanroom garb before adding anything.
Laboratories, blood banks and cold storage
Laboratories and pharmacies store reagents, blood products and medicines under strict temperature control. CDC's Vaccine Storage and Handling Toolkit specifies refrigerator storage between 2°C and 8°C (36°F and 46°F) and freezer storage between -50°C and -15°C (-58°F and 5°F). Staff who load walk-in units, count inventory or retrieve specimens work in genuinely cold air, often in short but repeated exposures.
OSHA's cold stress guidance lists wetness, improper dress and exhaustion as risk factors, and notes that health conditions such as hypothyroidism and diabetes can increase susceptibility. Even brief, frequent trips into cold rooms add up over a shift.
Short exposures still deserve planning. Keeping an insulated jacket and gloves by the door of a walk-in unit, planning retrieval lists before entering, and limiting how long anyone stays inside all reduce cold strain. Wet gloves or damp sleeves should be changed promptly, since OSHA identifies wetness as a key risk factor for cold stress.
Decedent care and morgues
Hospital morgues use refrigerated storage, and autopsy and decedent care rooms are often kept cool for preservation and odor control. Staff wear fluid-resistant protective clothing that may be poorly insulated, and tasks can involve standing still for long periods. The combination of cold air, damp conditions and low activity makes layering under protective clothing especially important.
How can staff stay warm in these areas?
OSHA recommends three layers for cold work: an inner layer of wool, silk or synthetic fabric to move moisture away from the skin, a middle layer of wool, fleece or synthetic for insulation, and an outer layer that blocks wind and water while allowing some ventilation. Adapt that model to each area's rules.
| Area | Main cold source | Practical approach |
|---|---|---|
| Cath lab or IR suite | Cool room, airflow, low activity for non-lead staff | Base layer, core vest, jacket |
| Pharmacy cleanroom | Cool room, long still tasks | Layers permitted under garb |
| Lab, blood bank, walk-in storage | Refrigerated air, repeated entries | Insulated jacket for entries, gloves |
| Morgue and decedent care | Refrigeration, damp, standing still | Warm layers under protective clothing |
| Loading docks and supply | Outdoor air, doors opening | Outer layer that blocks wind |
What should managers consider?
Managers can reduce cold strain by providing approved warm layers, keeping insulated jackets at walk-in unit entrances, rotating long cold tasks, and making warm break areas available. Written guidance on which layers are compatible with garbing and infection-control rules prevents staff from improvising.
Staff who notice color changes in their fingers, numbness that lingers, or feeling cold in conditions others find comfortable should talk to a clinician about those symptoms.
Key takeaways
Cold hospital areas are cold for a reason: equipment, garbing, contamination control or refrigerated products.
Staff without heavy protective clothing in these rooms often feel the cold most.
Vaccine refrigerators run at 2°C to 8°C and freezers at -50°C to -15°C, so storage work means real cold exposure.
Layer from the skin out within each area's garbing rules, and add core warmth for sedentary tasks.
Frequently asked questions
Why are hospitals kept so cold?
Temperatures are set for patients, equipment, contamination control and stored products. Operating rooms follow ASHRAE Standard 170, and many support areas run cool for similar reasons.
Why are cath labs cold?
Imaging equipment, procedure lighting and staff in heavy lead aprons all add heat, so rooms are often kept cool. Staff not wearing lead can feel cold as a result.
What should I wear to work in a hospital cold room?
OSHA recommends a moisture-wicking inner layer, an insulating middle layer and a protective outer layer. Keep an insulated jacket and gloves near walk-in units for repeated entries.
Can I wear extra layers under cleanroom garb?
It depends on your facility's garbing procedure under USP 797. Some layers are permitted and others are not, so ask your pharmacy supervisor before adding anything.
Is working in hospital cold storage harmful?
Short, well-managed exposures are routine, but OSHA notes that wetness, fatigue and some health conditions increase cold stress risk. Talk to a clinician if you notice symptoms such as numbness or color changes.
Related reading
Sources
Cold Stress Guide, Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Vaccine Storage and Handling Toolkit, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
General Chapter 797: Pharmaceutical Compounding, Sterile Preparations, United States Pharmacopeia
One Operating Room, Two Thermal Worlds: Determinants and Limits of Thermal Comfort for Surgical Staff, Atmosphere (MDPI), 2026
Environmental Conditions for Operating Rooms (ASHRAE Standard 170-2008 summary), Barton Associates
About HEATJAC. HEATJAC is a thermal architecture company founded by an anesthesiologist. We design patented garment systems that capture, conduct and broaden warmth across the body, and we publish this knowledge hub because the science of staying warm should be public. HEATJAC products are not medical devices and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.