UK Government considers changing laws around working in heatwave
After this week's nationwide heatwave broke UK records, the British Government have reportedly suggested implementing permanent changes to employment regulations.
The Met Office warned residents to prepare for the impact of a historic, record-breaking heatwave earlier this week by issuing a Red Heat Health Alert. High humidity, caused by a high-pressure 'heat dome' which is trapping hot air from Europe, has created an unbearable 'furnace' effect that poses a serious risk to life, not just for vulnerable citizens, but for everyone.
The hottest June day on British records was recorded yesterday (25 Jun), with temperatures reaching blazing highs of over 36°C.
While schools have closed and trains have been cancelled, many businesses have expected their staff to carry on as normal, raising questions over employment rights.
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Currently, there's no legal maximum working temperature in the UK.
Sure, there's a minimum workplace temperature of 16°C, or 13°C for physically laborious jobs, but there's no meaningful upper limit right now.
Largely, this is because many employment facilities across the UK require warmth for production - factories, bakeries, etc.
The only time these regulations ever pose a real issue is during unprecedented weather phenomena, like this week, because employees can't legally stop working at the moment.
The only thing they can do is raise their concerns with their employer, who has a legal duty of care to ensure the safety of their staff. They must keep temperatures at a comfortable level during scorching highs and provide clean and fresh air.
In light of this week's humidity, however, the UK Government are now considering implementing a new maximum workplace temperature, following a plea from London Mayor Sadiq Khan.
He also demanded mandatory air conditioning for some schools, hospitals and workplaces.
According to climate minister Katie White, her team are looking 'closely' at the options currently available to improve the nation's tolerance of warmer temperatures, in line with the latest report gathered by the Climate Change Committee (CCC).
"It’s sweltering right now," White told The i Paper. "I think it’s a reminder that this isn’t about something in the future; this is about what’s happening right now. Whether it’s around people trying to get their kids to sleep tonight or farmers looking at their crops, worried about the impacts of that."
The Labour politician was also asked how the Government is supporting its citizens this week, ahead of potentially hotter heatwaves in the future.
"We’re looking as a Government closely at those options of how to look at that resilience in the future," she replied.
It'll be up to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), which is in charge of workplace regulations, to implement these new measures.
While a spokesperson recently claimed it has 'no plan' to introduce a maximum workplace temperature, they refused to rule it out by the end of 2029.
Rhianna Benson