The government must urgently intervene to introduce legal protections for outdoor and high-risk workers in extreme heat, a leading employment law firm has urged.
The call from Magara Law comes as the Met Office confirmed that this year was the warmest summer on record in the UK, with four heatwaves recorded. Temperatures in London soared past 34.7C and contributed to an estimated 260 heat-related deaths.
“Workers are already being asked to put their health and lives on the line during heatwaves, with only vague guidance to protect them,” said Roy Magara, Founder and Solicitor Advocate at Magara Law.
“The current legal framework is not fit for a warming climate, and clear legal thresholds and enforceable safeguards are urgently needed.”
Similar extremes were observed across Europe, where countries such as Spain, Greece, and Italy already enforce legal limits and mandatory breaks during extreme heat, none of which exist in the UK.
Currently, British law only requires employers to maintain ‘reasonable’ working conditions, leaving millions of outdoor workers exposed to hazardous conditions during increasingly frequent heatwaves.
Now Magara Law is calling on the government to introduce a legal framework that outlines greater protection for outdoor workers when the heat becomes excessive.
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