Government to launch public consultation on maximum working temperatures

The government has pledged to investigate the maximum working temperature regulations as the UK swelters in another week of 30°C-plus heat.

There is no legal upper limit to how hot a working environment can be, despite the lower limit being set at -16°C (-13°C for strenuous work).

In a written question to Stephen Timms, secretary of state for the Department of Work and Pensions, Alex Mayer, the Labour MP for Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard, asked what assessment the department had made of “the potential impact of heatwaves on workers in outdoor and high-temperature workplaces”.

Timms responded: “The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Great Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. There is a legal duty for employers to fully assess the risks to workers from extreme heat.

“HSE provides guidance for employers to manage the risk to workers, including from extreme heat. HSE issued a press release on Friday 19 June to raise awareness of the risks to workers, to help workplaces in the current hot weather.

“This year, HSE will also be launching a public consultation on proposed changes to the Approved Code of Practice for the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, including those relating to workplace temperature.”

The announcement comes after the UK endured a Red Extreme Heat Warning at the end of June, which resulted in several hospitality businesses closing due to “uncomfortably hot” working conditions.

Some restaurants, such as Convene in Stockport, took the opportunity to serve a heatwave menu consisting of cold plates including beetroot hummus, panzanella salad and butter beans drenched in lemon.

Meanwhile, Rita’s in London’s Soho has announced plans to switch out its normal menu for an entirely raw and cold offering for the month of August.

Several UK unions, including the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union and the Trades Union Congress (TUC), are behind plans for a ‘heat strike’ later this month, which had received more than 2,500 signatures at the time of writing.

The strike is scheduled to take place at 10 Downing Street on the hottest day of the year and demands that the government set a national maximum indoor working temperature of 30°C (27°C for those doing strenuous work).

UKHospitality called for “flexibility for businesses” during heatwaves, with chair Kate Nicholls, telling The Caterer last month: “The health and wellbeing of our teams is our utmost priority and venues will be having sensible and pragmatic conversations with their teams about working through the current heatwave.

“Every workplace is different, so flexibility for businesses to manage this collaboratively with teams, rather than through arbitrary targets, usually proves to be the most satisfactory approach.”

HSE recommends these remedies for a hot workplace

• Control the temperature using engineering solutions, for example by using fans or turning off unnecessary equipment.
• Provide mechanical aids where possible to reduce the work rate.
• Regulate the length of exposure to hot environments, for example by providing periodic rest breaks and rest facilities in cooler conditions.
• Prevent dehydration by providing cool water in the workplace and encouraging workers to drink it frequently in small amounts before, during (where possible) and after working.
• Provide appropriate personal protective equipment, for example breathable chef whites. Avoid use of protective clothing,, which may increase the risk of heat stress.
• Provide training for your workers, especially new and young employees, telling them about the risks of heat stress including what symptoms to look out for, safe working practices and emergency procedures.
• Allow workers to acclimatise to their environment and identify which workers are acclimatised or assessed as fit to work in hot conditions.
• Identify employees who are more susceptible to heat stress because of an illness, condition or medication, for example, pregnant women or those with heart conditions.
• Monitor the health of workers at risk if you have deployed all possible measures to ensure the working environment is as safe as can be.

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