3 days ago
Workers can down tools in heatwaves under health and safety plan
Workers would be allowed to down tools during heatwaves under health and safety plans drawn up by regulators.
Binmen, builders and others doing manual labour would be able to demand extra protection during hot weather under proposals being developed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the industry regulator.
Unions are pressing for the plans to include a maximum working temperature of 27C for manual jobs and have discussed their demands with ministers.
Although the HSE is expected to stop short of setting a specific legal maximum, it is preparing to tell employers they must carry out 'heat stress assessments' if temperatures reach a certain level, and provide extra support such as more frequent rest breaks, when employees can stop working. Employers would also have to offer better access to shade and water.
Labour has already pledged to 'modernise' health and safety rules around extreme temperatures.
Baroness Jones of Whitchurch, a Labour under-secretary of business, said in the House of Lords last month that the HSE would bring forward detailed proposals in the coming months. She said: 'We recognise that workplace temperatures are changing, especially as the climate changes.'
Lady Jones added that Labour was committed to making workplaces safe 'in the modern world'.
Britain is currently experiencing its fourth heatwave of the year. Five regions are in an amber heat health alert, meaning there is a risk of travel disruption and increased demand on health services. Drought is officially ongoing in five areas.
The Met Office expects summers in the UK to reach 45C in the near future and unions are lobbying to protect workers from the increasingly frequent high temperatures.
The HSE is in the process of amending an approved code of practice for working conditions first created in 1992 and has stated there should be a safe minimum temperature of 13C for strenuous jobs and 16C for non-strenuous jobs.
At present, there is no cited maximum temperature for workers. Unions have met with HSE officials in a bid to push through a revision to the guidance, which is not legally binding in its current form, to include a cut-off temperature for work.
Union bosses have also written to Labour ministers specifically raising the issue of working in dangerously hot weather, it is understood.
There is precedent internationally for implementing a maximum working temperature, with Greece this summer mandating that manual workers had to take a break between noon and 5pm. Spain, Italy and Germany also have maximum temperature rules in place.
Rob Miguel, health and safety adviser at the Unite union, said: 'As the climate changes, it is vital that health and safety law is updated in line with the serious challenges this presents for workers.
'We urge the government to get a move on with this so that there can be no ambiguities in the workplace.'
Paul Nowak, the general secretary at the Trades Union Congress, added: 'With heatwaves becoming more common, we need to adapt. We need new laws on maximum working temperatures, improvements to workplaces to keep them cool, and climate action to reduce global heating.'
Lynsey Mann, the GMB union's health and safety officer, said: 'Ultimately, there needs to be a legal maximum working temperature, in the same way we have a legal minimum working temperature.'
There are various measures companies and organisations can take to make working conditions safer and more manageable in hot weather.
This can include changing shift patterns to earlier in the day to avoid working in the worst of the midday sunshine. Some local authorities are already doing this for bin collections, with shifts starting as early as 5am.
Biffa, the private company which runs waste collection for 30 local authorities, said worker safety amid rising temperatures caused by climate change was a 'key priority'.
Steve Cole, managing director of Biffa Municipal, said: 'Climate change has a significant impact on weather patterns and a key priority for us is ensuring key front-line workers are protected and are at minimal risk.
'During hot periods, we adapt shift patterns where possible to enable our collection crews to miss the hottest part of the day, as well as ensuring that they have enough access to water, sun protection and time out of the sun. A range of lightweight protective clothing is also available.'
'Recipe for productivity to plummet'
But critics of the revised legislation say it will worsen the productivity downturn in the economy and further burden businesses.
Mike Wood, the shadow Cabinet Office minister, said: 'Employers already have a duty to ensure working conditions are reasonable.
'Giving public sector workers an excuse to clock off the moment the mercury rises will be a recipe for productivity to plummet even further.
'Under Labour's public sector, bins aren't collected and phones aren't answered, whilst taxes go through the roof.'
Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, added: 'This is the UK, the hot weather won't last long. Keep calm and carry on.'
Industry has also questioned the need for a maximum temperature in law as it could hit companies with yet more red tape.
Craig Beaumont, executive director of the Federation of Small Businesses, said: 'Employers already have a legal duty to ensure the temperature in their workplace is reasonable, and to address any excessive heat that poses a risk to employees' health and safety.
'This approach appears to work, so any new regulations to change this must set out why they would be an improvement. With ministers just now recommitting to the Government's aim to cut regulatory costs by 25 per cent, we should avoid unnecessary, impractical or disproportionate red tape.'
A Government spokesman said that while HSE could make suggestions and give advice, the final decision was made by ministers.
They added: 'We have no plans to introduce a maximum workplace temperature.'
A HSE spokesman said: 'The risks to workers from extreme heat must be properly assessed. Practical steps can include providing adequate ventilation and shade, and allowing enough breaks for workers to cool down. Detailed guidance is available on our website.
'Workers should talk to their employer if the temperature isn't comfortable, and employers should consult with employees or their safety representatives, to find sensible solutions.
'We're working with the Government to bring forward detailed proposals for consultation on workplace temperature.'
