More than 20,000 people have backed a call for a new law banning employers from forcing staff to endure high temperatures at work, as a heatwave grips the UK and the government signals that new rules could be on the way.
The petition, started by Kerry Cooper from Shrewsbury after she struggled to cope at work in hot weather, has gained more than 20,000 signatures in 24 hours. Cooper, who has multiple health conditions that affect how her body handles heat, says she cannot work for more than half an hour on a hot day before she is struggling. Her employer’s response, she said, has been “a couple of tower fans pushing warm air around the room”.
“Petition for legal max working temperature hits 20,000 signatures; DWP signals new rules”
The UK currently has a legal minimum indoor working temperature – 16C, or 13C for strenuous work – but no legal maximum. That stands in contrast to Spain, which caps indoor working temperatures at 27C for desk-based work and 25C for physical work.
This week the Department for Work and Pensions said new legislation could be introduced. DWP Minister Sir Stephen Timms said the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is considering changes to the rules, with an announcement expected later this year. “The HSE is Great Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety,” Timms said. “There is a legal duty for employers to fully assess the risks to workers from extreme heat. HSE provides guidance for employers to manage the risk to workers, including from extreme heat. HSE issued a press release on Friday, June 19, to raise awareness of the risks to workers, to help workplaces in the current hot weather. This year, HSE will also be launching a public consultation on proposed changes to the Approved Code of Practice for the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, including those relating to workplace temperature.”
The push comes in the same week Europe’s largest trade unions called for the right to stop work when temperatures pass 30°C, and follows separate calls from doctors for a legal maximum working temperature to protect NHS staff. Cooper’s petition has already dwarfed an equivalent petition on the UK Parliament’s petitions site, which has reached 6,500 signatures since December.
Supporters have left dozens of comments backing the call. James, who works in a factory, wrote: “In my factory, I’m running a machine set at 195C, handballing 25kg, walking 20k steps a day, no windows, no aircon, no fans, and we don’t even have access to clean drinking water.”
The petition names the HSE and Pat McFadden, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, as its decision-makers. With the consultation expected later this year, the question now is whether the government will follow the lead of Spain and unions – and set a legal limit on how hot a workplace can get.