Too hot to work: What does the law say about working in a heatwave? - Euronews
Southern Europe is bracing for more record-breaking temperatures this week, as theCerberus heatwave -- aptly named after the mythological beast guarding the gates of hell -- continues to grip countries like Spain, Italy, and Greece.
As the thermometer is expected to reach 45C in Spain this week and at least 10 cities in Italy have been put on high alert, the issue of when is it "too hot to work" has reemerged.
Last summer, as the UK faced its first-ever extreme heat warning, British workers’ union GMB called for a "too hot to work" law to be passed as soon as possible to protect labourers from being forced to work under scorching, dangerously unhealthy temperatures.
Their appeal raised the question: when is it too hot to work, and why don’t we have more rules about it?
Despite last year's call to action by GMB, there is still no regulation in the UK defining how hot a workplace has to be before a worker can justifiably ask to be sent home (and douse themselves in an ice bath), though there is a recommended minimum.
Health and safety guidelines require the workplace to be “comfortable”, but only excessive cold is defined, stating temperatures shouldn’t fall below 16 degrees Celsius in an office environment, or 13 degrees if the work is physically demanding.
There’s no mention of an upper limit, which was probably not considered necessary a few decades ago, but which is now a burning issue.
Surprisingly,...
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