Is it Too Hot or Cold to Work? What Employers Need to Know
With the UK experiencing more frequent extremes in temperature – both hot and cold – it’s worth brushing up on what the law says about working conditions, and what you can do to keep your team comfortable and safe.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) provides a useful guide that can help you make sure you’re one step ahead of the law.
Is there a maximum workplace temperature?
You might be surprised to learn there’s no legal upper limit when it comes to how hot a workplace can be. That’s because some working environments – like bakeries or foundries – naturally reach high temperatures due to the nature of the job.
However, that doesn’t mean employers can ignore the heat. Under health and safety law, you must:
- Keep workplace temperatures at a comfortable level
- Provide clean and fresh air
And the minimum?
For indoor workplaces, the rules are a little clearer:
- The temperature should be at least 16°C
- If the work involves ‘rigorous physical effort,’ it can be as low as 13°C
Outdoor working comes with extra risk
Working outdoors in hot (or cold) environments can quickly affect your employees’ health. There can be long-term health effects too, such as skin cancer. And the weather can affect an employee’s ability to handle machinery or other tasks safely.
It’s therefore important to make sure you have measures in place to protect those who may be working outdoors.
If your business involves extreme temperatures
In some sectors, extreme temperatures are part of the job. If this applies to your business, then you would need to consider things like heat stress, dehydration or cold stress.
Final thoughts
There may be no fixed maximum temperature at work, but the key principle is that employees should not be working in conditions that put their health at risk. If your team is too hot or cold, it’s worth reviewing what you can do to help. Sometimes, just making a few small adjustments can make a real difference.