WORKING AT HEIGHT THE HEAT IS ON
What are the safety measures businesses need to take for working in extreme temperatures asks Kevin Rowe, Managing Director of
SafetyBuyer.com.
Adapting to changing temperature conditions is a necessary yet difficult aspect of operating a business. According to UK law, there is no minimum or maximum working temperatures. This means that there is no exact legal barometer that, when exceeded or not met, stops workers from undertaking their activities.
However, businesses have a duty to provide safe working conditions for their employees – whether indoors or outdoors – particularly in an era when historic heatwaves are becoming more common. Here, we will explore the responsibilities of employers to adapt their workplace to accommodate for extreme temperatures, and the steps they can take in order to prepare themselves for future climate fluctuations.
THE LEGAL OBLIGATION FOR BUSINESSES While there is no legal temperature range for the
workplace, the government provides guidance on recommended minimum temperatures. The official advice is that this minimum should be 16C for general non-physical work, such as office work. If the daily activities include physical work, the minimum temperature is recommended to be 13C. This guidance extends to indoor and outdoor workplaces, such as construction sites.
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On the other hand, there is no guidance on the upper temperature limit. This means that, in times of extreme heat, the government does not specify legal guidelines that prevent a working condition to reach above a certain temperature.
Despite no exact maximum limit, businesses have the responsibility to provide safe working conditions, and the wellbeing, morale and productivity of employees largely depend on the conditions in which they are required to work.
THE DIFFICULTY IN ADAPTING TO
EXTREME CONDITIONS In the past, the UK seldom saw extreme temperatures but climate change has increased their occurrence in recent years. This means that many work premises have not yet adapted to the change in temperature, and in extreme heat, there is a lack of appropriate heat-combatting infrastructure and measures to keep the inside temperature at an acceptable level.
Annual average increases in global temperatures have applied further pressure on employers to adhere to the legal guidance that workplaces must be kept at a comfortable temperature.
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