When is it too hot to work? Elevated temperatures and the current Workplace Regulations.

The South China Morning post has recently reported that the Chinese Labour Chief, Chris Sun yuk-han has refused to make heatstroke an occupational disease after Hong Kong has recently suffered record temperatures. Something we believe everyone here in the UK also has some sympathy with lately.

An observatory in Hong Kong has shown that more than 80 per cent of July days there had what they call ‘hot nights;’ with temperatures remaining above 28 degrees C or more.

There had been calls therefore change and this addition to their occupation disease system after it had been reported that give outdoor worker had died since June, likely as a result of the heatwave.

Here in the UK we have just recorded on the 19^th July 2022 a highest every daily temperature recorded as 40.3c which sparked a number of health warnings and advise to change our daily routines. Whilst most of the UK saw temperatures around or just under that new high we have not faced the same hot night as in Hong Kong with ranges between 13c to 26c. As we all know this made for some uncomfortable nights despite not reaching those figure seen elsewhere around the world.

The above article got us thinking about the UK regulations and occupational disease position on working in a hot or cold environment and it is noted that under the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 it states that a minimum temperature in workroom should be at least 16c or 13c where work involved rigorous physical effort. However, there is no upper limit stated in the regulations simply that temperature in workplace and building must be reasonable. What is reasonable is to be determined by a suitable and appropriate thermal risk assessment.

When looking at whether heatstroke is a prescribed industrial disease it isn’t one considered as such in the UK either and with us only beginning to now suffer with extreme heat it might be something thought of in the future for the IIAC, who provide a prescribed list of industrial diseases.

If you find yourselves considering what is classed as a industrial disease here in the UK then you might want to visit the IIDP website at this link: Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefits: technical guidance – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

If you have been affected by an Industrial Disease

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