Working in high temperatures: what the law says & what union reps can do for a cooler, safer workplace

One of the warmest weekends of this year is due to hit the UK, with Saturday predicted to be around 31 degrees in the country’s capital.

The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union has advised as following:

There is no official legal maximum (or minimum) working temperatures in the UK, which makes it difficult to say when it is too hot to work. However the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 or (NI) 1993 place a legal duty on employers to provide a ‘reasonable’ temperature in the workplace.

What is reasonable will depend on the workplace, the type of work, whether workers have any disabilities, medical conditions and other factors.

Employers are required by law to make a suitable assessment of the risks to the health and safety of their employees. Heat is classed as a hazard and comes with legal obligations like any other hazard.

Employers should consult with union health and safety reps and employees to agree sensible means to cope with high temperatures. This can include access to water and refreshments, more frequent breaks, better ventilation, reduced working hours.

Outdoor working in extreme heat risks heat/sun exposure, dehydration and skin cancer. Employers must risk assess the potential risks and put measures in place to address them. This can include provision of protective equipment, sunscreen and fresh water.

The Health and Safety Executive website provides information on temperature in the workplace, a workplace temperature checklist and guide to working out a comfortable temperature in your workplace (“thermal comfort”).

Shelly Asquith, TUC Health & Safety Policy Officer, has also written the following article, which explains some of the legal background and steps employers can take to keep working environments cool, as well as interactive guidance for union reps:

Is it too hot to work? | TUC