Health and Safety Experts on Managing Hot Summer Workplace Temperatures

Temperatures reached 30°C last month, which can make balancing a comfortable and safe temperature to work in challenging for businesses.

Health and safety experts from Protecting want to highlight the right procedures to put in place during hot days – with no legal maximum temperature for workplaces in the UK.

Duty of care

Employers have a duty of care to ensure temperatures remain at a comfortable level to prevent workplaces from becoming excessively hot, which can pose serious health risks. This obligation is covered by the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations. They require employers to perform risk assessments to identify potential heat hazards and implement control measures to maintain safe temperatures.

Find the optimal temperature

Despite the lack of a specific legal ceiling for heat, employers should consider factors to determine the best temperature, such as:

• The nature of work activities
• If it’s an indoor or outdoor working environment
• Type of workspace
• Available heating and air conditioning systems
• Number of people using the workspace

These assessments are vital in settings that naturally generate heat like bakeries, kitchens, and industrial plants, where the risk of heat-related illnesses increases.

Another factor to consider when setting up the AC temperature in the workplace is that women are comfortable at a 2.5°C higher temperature than men (24°C-25°C). Finding the perfect temperature that works for everyone might be hard, but 23°C will likely strike a good balance, if the gender ratio is almost equal.

Prevent heat stress

To combat heat stress in high-temperature work environments, employers can implement various strategies. These include:

• Installing air conditioning or fans
• Establishing accessible drinking water stations to prevent dehydration
• Limiting exposure to high-heat areas
• Providing personal protective equipment (PPE) with cooling capabilities
• Educating employees on the risks and symptoms of heat stress.

Monitoring the health of workers particularly vulnerable to heat stress is also vital to maintain a safe workplace.

Comfort in cooler conditions

The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 do specify minimum workplace temperatures. The Approved Code of Practice sets these minimums at 16°C for general indoor work and 13°C for tasks that involve rigorous physical effort. This ensures that even in cooler weather or less active work environments, employees have a baseline level of warmth to protect their health and safety.

For outdoor work environments, like construction sites, additional protections against cold weather are mandatory. Employers must shield workers from the adverse effects of cold temperatures through appropriate measures, like providing suitable protective clothing.

Regarding hot water in the workplace, systems must manage specific temperatures to reduce health risks, such as the proliferation of legionella bacteria. Hot water should be stored at no less than 60°C and reach at least 50°C within one minute at the outlet, and 55°C in healthcare premises. In contrast, cold water systems should stay below 20°C.