Employers need to act to make sure their workers are protected during periods of extreme hot weather this summer, Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has said.
The UK Health Security Agency and the Met Office have issued a yellow heat-health alert The alert is the first to be issued in 2023.
HSE says this alert – and the record high temperatures seen in Great Britain last summer – should prompt employers to take action to protect those working both inside and outside in extreme heat.
There is no legal maximum temperature for workplaces but the regulator is calling on employers to be responsible, after seeing a ‘surge’ in people seeking advice during summer 2022, when temperatures exceeded 40oC for the first time in history.
Employers must assess risks to the health and safety of their workers by law, including risks from extreme weather such as heat waves. While there is no legal maximum temperature for workplaces, heat is classed as a hazard and should be treated like other hazards.
HSE says everyone – whether working indoors or outdoors – is at risk and employers should discuss with workers changes to manage the risk.
Employers are being asked to consider simple measures such as:
- Making sure workplace windows can be opened or closed to prevent hot air from circulating or building up.
- Using blinds or reflective film on workplace windows to shade workers from the sun.
- Placing workstations away from direct sunlight and heat sources.
- Putting insulation around hot pipes and machinery.
- Offering flexible working patterns so workers can work at cooler times of the day.
- Provide free access to drinking water.
- Relaxing dress codes if possible.
- Providing weather-appropriate personal protective equipment
- Encouraging workers to remove personal protective equipment when resting (ideally in shaded areas) to cool off.
- Sharing information about the symptoms of heat stress and what to do if someone is affected. This can be achieved by issuing a Tool Box Talk or Safety Brief.
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