If you haven’t already made sure your employees are aware of the additional risks and positive actions that can be taken, then perhaps it is time to do so.
A comfortable workplace temperature is not purely a measure of the localised air temperature, but a combination of this and factors such as humidity levels, clothing (including PPE), the physical nature of the work, air speed/movement and not least radiant temperature (the influence of the sun, for example, or heat generated from the equipment you are using or in the vicinity of where you are working).
Legally there is currently no general maximum limit for temperature in workplaces. L24, the Workplace health, safety and welfare. Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992; Approved Code of Practice and guidance (ACoP) (HSE) does however set a minimum, which is 16°C or 13°C if much of the work involves rigorous physical effort. Both the Workplace and CDM regulations require “reasonable indoor temperatures”.
Obviously in warmer weather those working outdoors and/or performing physical work, as well as those in environments that are naturally often warmer, such as kitchens, manufacturing, etc. could be at greater risk, particularly from the effects of heat stress, where the body’s mechanisms for controlling its internal temperature stat to fail.
Employers should be factoring in temperature to their risk assessments, and where there is a potential, it could become unreasonable and manage the risk accordingly. General guidance from the HSE includes:
- Add or remove layers of clothing, depending on how hot or cold you are
- Use a desk or pedestal fan to increase air movement
- Use window blinds to reduce the heating effects of the sun
- If you are too warm drink plenty of water (avoid caffeinated or carbonated drinks)
- If possible, work away from direct sunlight or sources of heat, such as machinery
- Take regular breaks to cool down in hot conditions or heat up in cold ones
In outdoor environments employers must provide protection from adverse weather and site rest facilities must also be maintained at an appropriate temperature. Provision of sunscreen and additional access to cold drinks (non-alcoholic) are other things employers have done.
As warm weather doesn’t always affect all parts of the country at the same time or to the same degree (excuse the pun), facilities such as the Met Office Heat-Health Alert Service (England only) and National Severe Weather Warning Service (UK) are very useful in providing advance warning of potential issues.
Below are a number of links that provide further information and tools for making what summer we have safe as well as enjoyable:
Temperature: Thermal comfort (hse.gov.uk)
Heat-health Alert service - Met Office