It’s HOT HOT HOT! – Hot weather and work

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In the cold months of January and February, when the rain falls (or even snow!) and we’re huddled into our coats, the thought of a long, hot summer is a wonderful consolation.

When you are experiencing extremes of heat such as we are at the moment, however, it can be difficult to sleep, settle or relax due to the myriad of operations your body is carrying out to keep you cool!

Hot weather and work

What of hot weather and work, however? I know my own experiences of the heat in my (lovely but non air-conditioned!) office are hard enough, so I can’t imagine what it’s like for those who are performing heavy, manual handling tasks or overly physical jobs.

The Workplace Regulations simply say the temperature should be ‘reasonable’, which is quite a subjective test. What may be reasonable for one person is extreme for the next.

There should be controls in place to regulate temperature (air conditioning units for example) and Risk Assessments carried out to ensure that anyone performing a task that is likely to generate heat in cooler circumstances, has additional measures in place to help them.

With symptoms such as discomfort, dehydration and exhaustion it is clear why employers have a further incentive, in addition to legal obligations, to ensure workers are comfortable. Extreme heat leads to an unhappy, or even sick, workforce but it can also mean decreased productivity and increased absenteeism.

Employers should give consideration to ‘thermal comfort’ – this being how acceptable a person considers their current temperature. Sources of heat in the workplace should be considered, together with the degree of humidity, and factors such as the clothing required and the physical exertion involved in the job.

On a personal, and very simple level, Oakwood have resorted to such measures as allowing ‘dress down’ days that allow us to wear shorts and daily ice cream drops. Although fun, they are also simple solutions to keeping workers happy and safe.

A snapshot of the workforce can work well to establish whether conditions are acceptable. If a high percentage of workers are unhappy with their level of ‘thermal comfort’ then clearly action should be taken.

If you are unhappy with the heat and feel it exceeds what is acceptable for your own thermal comfort, it is advisable to speak to a supervisor, Health and Safety Representative or a Union Rep (if you have one). They are then obliged to at least speak to other workers and consider the situation to see if anything can be done to improve matters.

You could suggest ideas yourself, such as the wearing of looser clothing (if appropriate), fans, blinds, plenty of cool drinking water (or ice creams!), moving work stations from direct sunlight, job rotation or adjustment of hours to ensure workers are working at the coolest part of the day. More heavy duty solutions would be air conditioning units or insulating hot equipment.

Sadly, there is no ‘maximum temperature’ rule you can point to when considering these issues, only consideration of the general considerations of comfort and personal safety.

Stay cool where you can, seek shade and use sun screen if your workplace is outside in direct heat. Lastly, enjoy the end of your day with a cool drink and a parasol to survive both hot weather and work!

It’s HOT HOT HOT! – Hot weather and work

In the cold months of January and February, when the rain falls (or even snow!) and we’re huddled into our coats, the thought of a long, hot summer is a wonderful consolation.

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