Health and Safety Executive Warn of Hotter Summers

After recent record-breaking temperatures and with more hot weather expected it is clear that global warming is playing a factor in the UK's summer weather patterns. With this in mind the Health and Safety Executive ( HSE ) is asking employers to ensure extreme heat becomes part of their long-term planning.

With temperatures reaching an unprecedented 40C in some parts of England in July 2022, adapting to climate change is something all businesses will need to consider as warmer weather becomes more frequent.

Employers have a legal obligation under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations to assess risks to the health and safety of workers. They must review the risk controls they have in place and update them if needed. This includes risks from more frequent extreme weather such as heatwaves.

While there is no maximum temperature for workplaces, all workers are entitled to an environment where risks to their health and safety are properly controlled. Heat is classed as a hazard and comes with legal obligations like any other hazard.

The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations, which require employers to provide a reasonable temperature in the workplace.

A spokesman for the HSE said : “We expect employers to take this recent weather event as the prompt to review how they assess the risk of high temperatures in their workplace and identify now those changes that will future proof them.

https://press.hse.gov.uk/2022/08/10/heat-warning-employers-must-prepare-for-a-warmer-future/