Feelin’ hot, hot, hot!
Scientists are warning heatwaves in the UK are going to become more common due to climate change. While this is great if you're on holiday lazing round a swimming pool, spare a thought for office workers.
Being surrounded by computers emitting heat, when it's already pushing 35°C outside, creates an unpleasant environment. Working efficiently can become a challenge, with employees having to struggle on in intense heat.
This is worsened by the modern trend for city office buildings being designed with expansive panes of glass that attract the sun and heat the building up more quickly.
Is it ever too hot to work?
Despite the risks of working in extreme heat, there's no law in the UK governing the maximum working temperature.
The UK is experiencing a mega heatwave, with the Met Office saying it's set to continue throughout July, but people are still expected to go into work.
The Met Office issued a rare amber warning for extreme heat across much of England and Wales for the week commencing 17th July. This was subsequently raised to the UK's first ever red warning for 18th and 19th July. Water companies revealed some properties were even experiencing low water pressure and supply problems due to increased demand.
On Monday, the overnight temperature in some parts of the UK was the hottest on record - never dropping below 25°C and beating the previous night-time record of 23.9°C, set in Brighton on 3rd August 1990. The hottest daytime temperature was in Hawarden in Flintshire, Wales, at 37.1°C. The current highest temperature on record in the UK was 38.7°C, in Cambridge in July 2019.
As the temperature rises in office spaces, this causes a different level of heat as a result of the electrical equipment and the number of people in an enclosed space. Government guidance suggests the temperature in work spaces must be "reasonable", but there's no legal requirement for employers to keep the temperature at a specific level.
How does the heat impact employees?
People working in very high temperatures can experience physical symptoms, such as heat stress and dehydration. Heat stress can be very serious. The symptoms can include an inability to concentrate, heat rash, muscle cramps, a severe thirst, giddiness, nausea, headaches and fainting. Heat stress left untreated can lead to heat stroke, which is a potentially fatal reaction that can cause confusion, convulsions and a loss of consciousness.
Aside from the severe health effects of working in extreme heat, it can also cause a loss of motivation and productivity among employees. People feel hot and tired, especially after a long commute to work. They simply don't want to be there.
How can you combat extreme workplace temperatures?
Some offices try to combat the heatwave by letting staff dress down and come to work in casual, looser clothing, including shorts. According to research published by HR News, employers also provide staff with unlimited free iced water and keep the freezer stocked with ice lollies and other frozen snacks.
Machines that aren't in use all the time, such as extra computers, photocopiers and printers, should be turned off completely and not left on standby, as they all generate heat. Don't leave the lights on in empty rooms and keep the blinds closed if the sun is shining directly into the office.
Employers are also recommended to provide fans for staff to keep the air flowing freely through the office. Windows can be left open to help fresh air enter the building and circulate, while an individual fan on each desk will make all the difference.
Even though there's no legal maximum temperature for the workplace, the HSE advises employers must follow health and safety laws, taking all reasonable steps to keep the working environment safe and comfortable.
As well as taking extra steps to combat extreme heat, in general terms, employers must adhere to office hygiene health and safety requirements.
Keep rest areas well-stocked with anti-bacterial handwashes and sanitiser gel, as no-one wants to work with clammy hands. Always have a first aid kit on hand - and a staff member trained to use it.
Have offices had to close in the UK because it's too hot?
Although there are no recorded instances of UK offices actually closing because of extreme heat, MPs have been discussing the possibility of setting a maximum workplace temperature that could make this happen in the future.
Labour MP Ian Mearns has tabled a motion in the House of Commons to permit employees to go home if the temperature rises above 30°C, or 27°C for people doing very strenuous work. To date, 37 MPs have signed in support of the legislation.
It was tabled after the Met Office warned some people risked serious illness, or even death, due to the unprecedented heatwave experienced this month. Under the proposed legislation, employers would have to bring in "effective temperature control measures" by law, or risk being temporarily closed down.
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