Q&A - Is there a maximum temperature that employees can legally work in?

Question:  

Is there a maximum temperature that employees can legally work in?

Answer:

No. UK health and safety law does not specify a maximum workplace temperature at which employees must stop work.

That does not, however, mean employers can ignore excessively hot working conditions.

For indoor workplaces, the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 require employers to provide a reasonable temperature. Employers also have duties under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 to assess and control risks to employees' health and safety.

Where high temperatures could affect workers, the employer should consider factors beyond simply checking the thermometer. These can include the physical demands of the work, humidity, radiant heat, exposure to direct sunlight, PPE or RPE being worn, access to drinking water and the length of time employees are exposed. HSE's own workplace-temperature checklist uses these types of factors when determining whether further assessment is required.

Controls could include providing cool drinking water, improving ventilation or air movement, providing additional rest breaks, moving work away from direct sunlight or heat sources, changing working hours and reducing the duration or intensity of exposure.

Importantly, “there is no legal maximum temperature” should not be interpreted as “there is no legal duty”. If working conditions create a foreseeable risk from heat, that risk still needs to be assessed and appropriately controlled.