Health & Safety News

Working in Extreme Heat – It’s a Health, Safety and Wellbeing Issue!

Working in extreme heat can impact workers in many ways, especially those colleagues that are pregnant, menopausal, or those with underlying health conditions. There is currently no maximum temperature, but the working environment should be comfortable with good clean ventilation and air conditioning.

The employer has a “Duty of Care” to update risk assessments, to identify risks and hazards in the workplace, including climate change-related hazards such as heatwaves.

If you work indoors, ask your line manager if you can move workstations away from windows and keep hydrated. The employer should provide adequate access to fresh drinking water. Take regular breaks outside, and if you can, work outside in a shaded area. Where possible work from home.

If working outside you should keep hydrated, wear a cap and use sunscreen. If you have a skin condition that prevents the use of sunscreen then protect your arms and legs. If possible, take regular breaks in shaded areas. If you feel ill because of extreme heat, then you should immediately report this to your line manager.

Extreme heat can also cause delays in commuting to and from your workplace, if this occurs then you should take care that you do not suffer the effects of heat exhaustion.

UNISON support the TUC campaign “We need a maximum working temperature now” – Sign the petition.

The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) recently stated:

“Businesses don’t have to wait around for formal upper limit rules; legislation, approved code of practice and guidance from the regulator are also already there. Undertaking risk assessments with a focus on ‘heat’ as a hazard, with identified and implemented control measures, which includes keeping staff informed and trained on these types of hazards is something employers should already be familiar with, and isn’t impossible.”

Additional information can be found in the below links:

https://www.unison.org.uk/health-and-safety/health-safety-key-issues/health-and-weather-warnings-for-extreme-heat/

Is it too hot to work? | TUC

Britain’s workplaces struggling in the heat | IOSH

https://www.hse.gov.uk/temperature/employer/heat-stress.htm

Branch Health & Safety Team