Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Recruitment & retention
    • Wellbeing
    • Occupational Health
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Recruitment & retention
    • Wellbeing
    • Occupational Health
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise

Occupational HealthLatest News

MPs and unions call for upper temperature limit in workplaces

by Personnel Today 2 Sep 2013
by Personnel Today 2 Sep 2013

The hot weather experienced by much of the UK over the summer has prompted calls by MPs and trade unions for an upper temperature limit for workplaces to be put in place.

Although the law states that staff should work in a “reasonable” temperature, there is no legal limit on the maximum.

The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 set a lower temperature of 16°C – or 13°C if the work involves severe physical effort – but there is no comparable upper limit.

An early-day motion by Labour MP Linda Riordan in July called for the law to be changed to make management send workers home if the temperature in their workplace ­exceeded 30°C.

The early-day motion, which in Parliamentary terms is simply a way of raising the profile of an issue, ­attracted the support of 17 MPs.

The motion suggested an upper limit of 27°C for those doing strenuous work and also attracted the backing of the TUC.

The TUC in July urged employers to be more flexible around workplace dress codes and called on the Health and Safety Executive to amend its approved code of practice covering workplace conditions to introduce a new maximum legal temperature at work.

The union body, which has online guidance on the issue, pointed out that providing a cool and comfortable environment in ­workplaces was not just good in terms of health and safety, but also made business sense in terms of ensuring workers were more productive during hot weather.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

It outlined six recommendations:

  • allow staff to adopt less formal attire in hot weather, with jackets and ties out, and short sleeves, vest tops and shorts in;
  • distribute fans to staff and provide portable air-cooling cabinets;
  • install air conditioning and maintain it regularly, so that it does not break down during a heat wave;
  • allow flexible working so that staff can have the option of coming in earlier and staying later to avoid the sweltering conditions of the rush-hour commute;
  • move employees’ desks away from windows, draw blinds or ­install reflective film; and
  • allow staff to take frequent breaks and provide a ready supply of cool drinks.

Frances O’Grady, TUC general secretary, said: “Extreme heat can be just as harmful as extreme cold, and so long as there is no legal maximum working temperature, many of the UK’s workers are likely to be facing conditions that are not just personally unpleasant, but which are also likely to hit their productivity.”

Personnel Today

previous post
How JISCMail can improve your occupational health practice
next post
Data protection: 10 tips for ‘bring-your-own-device’ employees

You may also like

Personnel Today Awards 2025 shortlist: Workplace culture (smaller...

18 Sep 2025

Trainee GP who displayed Palestine flag sues for...

17 Sep 2025

Graduates face ‘white-collar’ recession in jobs market

17 Sep 2025

Ben & Jerry’s co-founder quits over Unilever’s social...

17 Sep 2025

Inflation unchanged at 3.8% in August

17 Sep 2025

Tech firms to plough £30bn into ‘AI Growth...

17 Sep 2025

Retirement at risk – why we all need...

17 Sep 2025

Sky to cut 600 jobs as it ‘reshapes’...

17 Sep 2025

MPs reject Lords’ amendments to Employment Rights Bill

16 Sep 2025

Failure to prevent fraud: Only 29% training staff...

16 Sep 2025

  • Workplace health benefits need to be simplified SPONSORED | Long-term sickness...Read more
  • Work smart – stay well: Avoid unnecessary pain with centred ergonomics SPONSORED | If you often notice...Read more
  • Elevate your L&D strategy at the World of Learning 2025 SPONSORED | This October...Read more
  • How to employ a global workforce from the UK (webinar) WEBINAR | With an unpredictable...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits Live
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Recruitment & retention
    • Wellbeing
    • Occupational Health
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise