Worst jobs to have during heatwave as workplaces must follow two legal requirements
Lucy Devine
Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Photo
Working in a heatwave can feel like a huge struggle, but if you're able to sit in an air conditioned office, you might actually have the best set up in comparison to some jobs that are particularly gruelling in high temperatures.
In extreme weather, it can be easy to wonder whether it's actually legal to work, and with the UK hitting highs of 34 degrees celsius this week, many people have wondered what their rights are.
Following a sweltering bank holiday weekend, millions of Brits were forced to return to work on Tuesday (26 May), with many trekking into their city-centre offices on jam-packed trains, sweaty underground tubes and overcrowded buses as temperatures hit 23 degrees celsius before 8am.
You might be disappointed to learn that there's no maximum working temperature in the UK, due to some workplaces requiring warmth for production, such as bakeries or restaurant kitchens.
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With that in mind, CE Safety has listed the 15 worst jobs to have in a heatwave. Let's get into it...
1. Kitchen staff
2. Fish and chip shop fryer
3. Refuse collector
4. Poultry production operative
5. Recycling plant operative
6. Crematorium assistant
7. Zookeeper
8. Welder
9. London Underground transport and maintenance worker
10. Builder
11. Road construction operative
12. Power plant engineer
13. Air conditioning engineer
14. Steel worker
15. Fatberg/sewage flusher
Many of these jobs require staff to work in very humid conditions, or outside under red hot temperatures.
Others are particularly labour intensive, while some would be pretty unpleasant in the sweltering heat (sewage flusher, we're looking at you).
Despite there being no maximum working temperature, employers have a legal duty of care to ensure the safety of their staff, and as such, they must follow two major legal health and safety regulations.
1) They must keep temperatures at a comfortable level.
2) They must provide clean and fresh air.
In workplaces where the work can't simply stop, the HSE (Health and Safety Executive) recommends the following advice to employers to ensure they're abiding by the two rules mentioned above:
The HSE also suggest employees take their safety into their own hands during unexpected heatwaves like this, possibly by:
We’re all aware of the basics of keeping cool during the warmer weather, such as avoiding the sun between 11am and 3pm, staying hydrated, wearing light clothing, taking cold showers and avoiding physical activity, but have you tried these little-known hacks to beat the heat? (Thank us later).
A good night's sleep is almost never guaranteed during a heatwave, leaving many of us turning to our trusty fan to get through the night. However, it could be having a hidden impact on your health.
But rest assured, as Dr Anis Khalaf has explained how to overcome this, the correct way.
"The key is to not have any of the wind blowing on you,” he said. “So try facing it away from your body, and the air will still circulate around the room."
Though bear in mind that electric fans only tend to work when the temperature is below 35 degrees.
Thanks to the sugars, proteins and fats in milk, Dr Natasha Fernando claimed that a glass of the liquid ‘may be more hydrating than water’.
She told Metro: “Milk also contains sodium which allows your body to hold onto water for longer, aiding hydration levels.”
Forget the Military sleep method, because this hack claims to keep you cool as well as help you nod off.
Psychiatrist Alex Dimitriu, MD, told VeryWellMind: "The Egyptian sleep method involves sleeping under a damp sheet, which cools off from evaporation.”
Just make sure the sheet is damp and not drenched, and the room is well-ventilated.
While it may sound counterproductive, you’re essentially inviting the hot air inside by leaving them open. And since most houses in the UK are designed to keep the heat in, you could be making the situation a whole lot worse.
Instead, wait until temperatures have dropped (such as in the late evening) to open your windows to allow cooler air to circulate. Keeping your blinds and curtains shut can also help.