Protecting employees during extreme heatwaves
The Met Office has warned that more heatwaves could be on the way, while climate experts say hotter summers are likely to become increasingly common.
The UK had already experienced three official heatwaves by mid-July and recent forecasts suggest there’s little sign of the relentless heat easing anytime soon. With extreme heat expected to become a more regular feature of our summers, this may be a challenge employers find themselves managing more often.
While many of us welcome a spell of sunshine, working through days of persistent heat can be a very different experience, especially when warm nights have already left employees tired before they even start their day.
It’s no surprise, then, that your employees may be asking the popular question: at what point is it legally too hot to work?
What is the legal maximum workplace temperature?
Unfortunately for anyone hoping for a definitive answer, there is no legal maximum workplace temperature in the UK.
This is simply because the same temperature can create very different conditions depending on the workplace. Humidity, airflow, physical exertion, heat-producing equipment and the need to wear a uniform or Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) can all affect how difficult the environment is to work in. Some settings, such as commercial kitchens, are also naturally exposed to much higher temperatures than others.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) therefore advises employers not to rely on air temperature alone when deciding whether conditions are reasonable.
However, that doesn’t mean you should just switch on the desk fan and call it case closed!
What are employers legally required to do?
Although there is no maximum temperature, you’re still legally required to protect employees from health and safety risks. This includes risks created by extreme heat.
Health and safety requirements include responsibilities to:
- Maintain a reasonable temperature in indoor workplaces
- Provide clean, fresh air
- Assess how hot weather could affect your workplace
- Take steps to remove or reduce any risks you identify
What is considered reasonable will depend on the environment, the work being carried out and how employees are affected. Crucially, the assessment should also consider whether the heat could pose a greater risk to particular employees.
Which employees may be more at risk?
The nature and location of the role can significantly affect how someone experiences the heat.
Outdoor workers, such as construction workers and gardeners, may face greater exposure to high temperatures. Employees carrying out physical work, wearing PPE or unable to move away from a particularly hot area may also feel the effects much sooner than colleagues doing less strenuous work or work where they can take more regular breaks, for example.
Individual circumstances also matter greatly. Pregnant employees and people with certain long-term health conditions may face greater risks during hot weather, while some medications can make it harder for the body to regulate temperature or stay hydrated.
Employees experiencing menopause may also find that higher temperatures worsen symptoms such as hot flushes, sweating, fatigue and difficulty concentrating.
You should avoid making assumptions and give employees the opportunity to explain how the conditions are affecting them. For example, when supporting someone experiencing menopause, Acas recommends considering:
- Workplace temperature and ventilation
- Uniforms and dress requirements
- Access to cool rest areas
- Availability of cold drinking water
Where a long-term condition meets the legal definition of a disability, you may also need to consider reasonable adjustments.
How can you tell when the heat is becoming a risk?
You shouldn’t wait until someone becomes seriously unwell before reviewing your response to the heat.
Repeated complaints about a particular area, time of day or item of clothing may suggest that the measures already in place aren’t enough. Managers should also pay attention to employees struggling to concentrate, making more mistakes, feeling unusually tired or taking extra breaks simply to cool down.
They should also recognise the signs that someone may be becoming unwell. Heat exhaustion can cause headaches, dizziness, nausea, excessive sweating, cramps and intense thirst. Confusion or loss of coordination may signal something more serious and require urgent medical attention.
What practical steps can you take?
Where concerns arise, speak to the affected employee and consider what practical changes would help. Depending on the role and working environment, this could include:
- Providing more frequent breaks
- Moving demanding work to cooler parts of the day
- Adjusting working hours temporarily
- Relaxing dress requirements where it is safe to do so
- Moving employees away from particularly hot areas
- Reviewing how long employees need to wear PPE in hot conditions
The right response will vary from person to person. What matters most is that you listen, act early and avoid assuming one solution will work for everyone.
There may be no legal maximum temperature at which work must automatically stop, but employers still need to recognise when the heat is affecting someone’s ability to work safely and comfortably.
