Too hot to work? Worker rights and when you should get sent home as heatwave to hit Scotland
BURNING ISSUE Too hot to work? Worker rights and when you should get sent home as heatwave to hit Scotland
SCOTS are set to bask in scorching sunshine this weekend as temperatures soar above 30C.
The mercury is predicted to rise to record-breaking levels as 150,000 revellers descend on Glasgow Green for the three-day TRNSMT festival.
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The historic open-air swimming pool in the sun at Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire
Credit: Alamy
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TRNSMT revellers last year enjoyed the beautiful sunny weather in Glasgow
Credit: Tom Farmer
However, many will be stuck in offices as they work through the unbelievable heatwave.
Scotland has already had more sunshine this year than the whole of last summer.
The Met Office say record books may need to be rewritten if temperatures continue to soar.
Similar toasty temperatures are expected to be recorded across much of Scotland on Saturday.
It's all fun and games when you're off to enjoy the weather but what are your rights at work in this sizzling heat?
Here's everything we know...
Can you go home from work if it gets too hot?
The Scottish Trades Union Congress wants to make it illegal to keep people at work indoors if the temperature is above 30C, and put protection in place for people working outside or driving for a living.
Unfortunately, there isn't a legally defined maximum or minimum temperature for offices yet.
But your employer is responsible for "keeping the temperature at a comfortable level", and there are rules that could allow you to leave if the office is too hot.
The TUC says: "When the workplace gets too hot it is more than just an issue about comfort.
"If the temperature goes too high then it can become a health and safety issue. If people get too hot, they risk dizziness, fainting, or even heat cramps.
"In very hot conditions, the body's blood temperature rises. If the blood temperature rises above 39C, there is a risk of heat stroke or collapse. Delirium or confusion can occur above 41C.
"Blood temperatures at this level can prove fatal and even if a worker does recover, they may suffer irreparable organ damage."
According to the HSE: "A meaningful maximum figure cannot be given due to the high temperatures found in, for example, glass works or foundries."
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Woman sweating and suffering inside a warm office during the summer months
Credit: Getty
The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, which lay down particular requirements for most aspects of the working environment, states that: 'During working hours, the temperature in all workplaces inside buildings shall be reasonable."
The HSE explains: 'If a significant number of employees are complaining about thermal discomfort, your employer should carry out a risk assessment, and act on the results of that assessment.'
If you're a vulnerable employee – for example, if you're pregnant or are undergoing the menopause, or if you need to wear protective equipment at work so can't take off layers - that also has to be taken into account.
So the answer is simple – if you're uncomfortable, tell your boss and if enough people complain, then they have to act.
Can you go home in the hot weather if you work outside?
The health and safety temperature laws only apply to "indoor workplaces" - so what if you work outside, in the agricultural or construction industries?
Again, no maximum temperature has been set - but employers are legally obligated to conduct risk assessments on workplaces to ensure that temperatures are 'reasonable'.
In 2013, Army reservists Lance Corporal Roberts, Lance Corporal Maher and Corporal Dunsby all died as a result of heat exhaustion after a training session in the Brecon Beacons.
The HSE launched an investigation of the Ministry of Defence, and found that there had been a failure to plan, assess and manage risks associated with climatic illness during the training.
The exercise should have been called off hours before when temperatures reached record highs, they said.
The HSE were unable to prosecute the MoD because it is a government body, but the case highlights the duty of care on the employer.
Employers should ensure their workers have access to water and monitor the health of their employees in hot conditions, according to HSE guidelines.
If you have concerns that it's too hot to do physical labour outside, do raise these with your employer.
Can you keep your kids home from school if it is too hot?
During a heatwave in 2013, school teachers called for maximum legal temperatures to be set in classrooms over fears that it was too hot for the kids.
At the time, general secretary of the NASUWT teaching union Chris Keates said heatwave temperatures make pupils lethargic, affect concentration and can lead to fainting.
The union called for a maximum classroom temperature of 30C - which would see kids sent home if thermometers rose above this level.
However, the law remained the same - and, as with term-time holidays, you could get into trouble for keeping your kids off school in the heatwave.
Parents should ensure their kids are well equipped for a heatwave by providing a hat and sunscreen if they are likely to be playing outdoors.
Many schools relax uniform rules during the summer months.
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