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. There is a link to the guide at the end of this article.

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 - 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 work 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 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.

HSE guide: Temperature in the workplace https://www.hse.gov.uk/temperature/employer/managing.htm

About the Author

Paul Newbold

Partner

After qualifying with KPMG where he gained significant audit experience, Paul joined Torgersens in 1991 and became the firm’s audit partner in 2000. Paul employs his broad range of financial skills to provide commercial and accounting advice to a range of owner-managed businesses in the independent retail, education and professional services sectors. He also has extensive experience dealing with charities, Registered Social Landlords and not-for-profit organisations and co-operatives.   Outside of work, Paul likes to visit Eastern France and South-West German and read novels by David Morrell, Michael Blake and Harper Lee. He also likes watching films, his favourite is The Shawshank Redemption.

To get in touch please e-mail paul.newbold@torgersens.com.