The government must act and introduce a legally enforceable maximum workplace temperature.
Most people in Britain want to see laws on maximum workplace temperature limits, polling suggests, as parts of the UK battle more extreme heat.
A YouGov survey of more than 2,000 UK adults for Friends of the Earth found almost four in every five of those quizzed supported the British Government introducing a legal maximum temperature for workplaces.
There are no laws for minimum or maximum indoor working temperatures, and while guidance exists for minimum temperatures in workplaces there is none for maximum temperatures – an increasing risk as climate change fuels more extreme heat.
Unions
The high level of support for legal maximum workplace temperatures comes in the midst of the fifth heatwave of the summer, with an amber warning for extreme heat issued for Thursday as the thermometer looks set to rise to as high as 38C in some parts of England.
Britain is battling worsening extreme weather such as heatwaves, drought and wildfires fuelled by climate change, which is mostly driven by burning fossil fuels for power plants, vehicles, home heating and industry.
The summer has been beset by multiple heatwaves which have broken records, led to thousands of deaths, closed schools, caused transport disruption and affected staff working in hospitals.
Earlier this year, the independent advisory Climate Change Committee said the government should set workplace maximum temperature regulations to protect workers from excess heat and encourage companies to install cooling measures, as part of a raft of measures to cope with the climate crisis.
Unions are also calling for new laws on maximum working temperatures, and the polling suggests the British public agrees – with less than one in 10 of those quizzed opposing the measure.
Breakdown
Rosie Downes, head of campaigns at Friends of the Earth, said the summer’s heat may seem exceptional but as the planet warms it will be remembered as increasingly unremarkable.
This, she said, “should be a sobering thought for us all”. She continued: “The government can’t afford to bury its head in the sand any longer, the wolf is already at the door.
“Setting a maximum workplace temperature is a much-needed way to protect people from the impacts of our warming climate.”
She said it must come as part of a wider drive to strengthen plans to help Britain adapt to rising temperatures – alongside cutting the greenhouse gas emissions driving the crisis to prevent the worst of climate breakdown.
Action
Paul Nowak, general secretary of the TUC, said: “As the climate crisis makes heatwaves more common, the UK needs to adapt.
“We need to protect workers from the dangers of extreme heat, and our businesses and services must be more resilient and capable of operating safely in heatwaves.
“That means new laws on maximum working temperatures. This will incentivise employers to make improvements to workplaces to keep them cool and safe.
“And we must continue with climate action to prevent global heating becoming more extreme, with greater costs to our lives.”
Extreme
Sampson Low, head of policy at Unison, said: “It’s time for clear temperature limits when employers must intervene to protect staff.
“Indoor and covered areas need to be kept comfortable and sensible bosses should allow employees to work flexibly to make use of the cooler parts of the day.”
Sarah Woolley, general secretary of the Bakers Food and Allied Workers Union, added: “Working people should not have to choose between earning a living and protecting their health.
“As extreme heat becomes more frequent and dangerous, the government must act and introduce a legally enforceable maximum workplace temperature.”
This Author
Emily Beament is the environment correspondent at Press Association.
