Explainer: With forecasts of extreme heat in England this week, here is a guide for workers and bosses
Hot weather can make work and travel unbearable, so with record temperatures forecast in England this week, what are your rights and how can you prepare?
Unfortunately, while there is a minimum working temperature of (16C in an office) there is no maximum figure to use. This is because some workplaces, such as kitchens and foundries, are hot all the time. Instead, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) tells employers they need to keep the environment at a “reasonable” temperature for the “thermal comfort” (whether someone feels too hot or too cold) of employees.
Extreme temperatures are among potential hazards that employers must address to meet their legal obligations, so if you and a significant number of your colleagues think it is too hot inside, the company should in theory carry out a risk assessment and act on it.
“There are no maximum temperatures set in the UK that state employees must be sent home,” says Michael Brown, a health and safety content manager at the advisory firm Citation. “However, employers must ensure that they take reasonably practicable steps to ensure the welfare of their workers during high temperatures.
“This means different things for different industries. For example, some outdoor employers may need to consider varying staff working hours to allow them to work at cooler points of the day, whereas...
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