The start of summer
Summertime is here (for now), although pleasant to have a break from the rain and cold we know and love in the UK, it’s important to remember the heat can be dangerous; particularly for vulnerable people such as children, the elderly and those with medical conditions affected by it.
Admittedly it hasn’t become too hot yet, but when we look at last year’s record-breaking temperatures which had not been seen in the UK since 1976, which triggered the met office to issue severe weather warnings across the country- it certainly signifies a change in the climate in the UK.
The question on many people’s minds when the warm weather does appear is often – “What is the maximum temperature in the workplace before I can go home?” – and actually, the law does not stipulate a maximum temperature as it would be difficult to stipulate this due to the variations in workplaces (foundries / glass works for instance which are much hotter than many workplaces).
Workplace working conditions temperature
Guidelines say a minimum temperature should be maintained above 16 degrees C (or 13 if high physical activity). However, when it comes to maximum temperature, The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 only say that “During working hours, the temperature in all workplaces inside buildings shall be reasonable”, this can be interpreted in many ways. Although we can’t control the weather, there are many things we can do to manage the effects from it. Of course, this can be easier if your business operates from inside an office - air-conditioned buildings are more and more common nowadays- but not every business has air conditioning of course, however decent blinds, windows that open, desk fans and regular water breaks can all help to keep staff cool and improve morale and aid productivity.
Naturally, the nature of outdoor workers jobs can put them at a high risk from heat related illness and even in extreme cases skin cancer so it’s extremely important to take measures to protect these people too.
A suitable and sufficient risk assessment should be completed, and protective measures put in place.
Health and Safety for indoor workers:
- Plenty of fresh drinking water available and opportunities for staff to take extra breaks to cool down, particularly in hot environments like foundries, industrial laundries, industrial kitchens etc.
- Provide adequate ventilation (air conditioning where practicable) helps to manage the climate.
- Consider variations where possible to clothing policy (with the exception of PPE).
- Ensure suitable window blinds are in place and they are closed to reduce solar gain in a building.
Health and Safety for outdoor workers:
- Working with shade as much as possible – parasols / gazebo / shelters are good for this.
- Ensure job rotation to allow employees to have a break from the sun / extreme heat.
- Provide head coverings / appropriate protective clothing.
- Plenty of fresh drinking water and breaks for staff to cool off.
- You should risk assess the job and provide sunscreen to protect your employees where required – wall mounted dispensers (similar to those used for soap in washrooms) are available for dispensing sunscreen.
- Consider timings of tasks – could they be timed so the most physical tasks are done in cooler parts of the day?
Why is PPE important?
It’s important that although tempting not to, employees wear their appropriate PPE whatever the weather – it may be possible for you to provide a lighter version (hi viz waistcoats for instance as opposed to waterproof coats).
Standards must be upheld – a common one for some outdoor workers may be to wear trainers instead of safety footwear provided or workers to remove their shirts – this must be closely monitored, if safety shoes have been risk assessed as a requirement then they must be worn (there are hundreds of types including safety trainers that are available to give protection) similarly, employees should not be permitted to work shirtless as this increases the risk of sun burn and skin cancer and gives no protection from physical damage (ie tools, flying bits of masonry or splashes etc).
Removal of PPE should however be encouraged during breaks or when doing tasks that do not require the same level of PPE – this is to help the worker cool down and help avoid heat stress where the body is not able to cool down and the core temperature rises. This could lead to things like loss of concentration, muscle cramps, fainting, heat stroke etc.
It’s very important to train your workers on all of the above as well as recognising the signs of heat stress, and practical steps they can take to avoid it. Employers have a legal duty to look after the well-being of their people
We can support you with advice, we can help you to create suitable and sufficient risk assessments to ensure you are compliant with the law and protecting your employees. We can conduct an onsite Health and Safety Audit and give recommendations on how this and many other safety matters can be managed.For further guidance please call the employment advice line or contact us here.
