Employers ‘Duty of Care’ During a Heatwave
As I was writing the blog this month, the Glastonbury Music Festival was in full swing and apart from a cloudburst greeting those arriving at Worthy Farm on the first day, it was extremely hot over the main days of the festival. Summer seems to have arrived early in the UK this year and forecasters are commenting that the average daily temperatures for June will break records.
As the scorching summer sun casts its relentless gaze upon the land, it seems to be ever more frequently that employers find themselves contemplating the duty of care owed to their employees amidst the sweltering heat.
The good weather generally makes employees feel better so you would think that productivity is bound to improve, however, it seems that Employers don’t get the productivity gains as they battle to consider how to protect employee’s well-being and safety amidst the outside blistering temperatures.
Risk Assessment
As with any other workplace health & safety risk, employers need to be prepared and ensure that their workplace consider the increased temperatures, changes in humidity levels and the time that employees are exposed to such conditions. Some employers who operate from relatively modern buildings may have the luxury of air conditioning systems and risk assessments should consider the maintenance of these systems.
This is particularly important during the spring period as this is when outdoor temperatures begin to rise, and the systems are put under increasing strain.
Many workplaces, however, don’t have the luxury of air conditioning systems, but buildings can still be kept cool with relatively cost-effective measures such as good insulation, and preventing heat gain from windows with window blinds or glazing that reflects heat.
Keeping the air moving with portable fans or increased ventilation will often help especially if air comes in from a cooler side of a building that’s in the shade.
Wellbeing
Hydration is particularly important for all workers but especially those having to work in outside environments or undertaking physical activities.
Encouraging regular hydration for employees is always important but can be critical in hot humid conditions.
Your risk assessment may want to consider altering work schedules so that the workday has more breaks, particularly in the high heat periods between noon and three o’clock.
Alternatively, air temperatures are generally much cooler in the early part of the day so starting work a few hours earlier as is often the case in hot countries, would allow employees to go home as the heat reaches its highest level.
It is very important in the risk assessment process to understand that some employees are affected more than others by heat.
As an example, consider Women going through the menopause where hot flushes will feel ten times worse in hot humid conditions. In such circumstances risk assessments will need to consider the individual rather than a group of workers. Whatever changes are decided, make sure these are done in consultation with the workforce.
Work Clothing and PPE
Heat stress happens when the body's way of controlling its internal temperature starts to fail.
This can happen in warm air temperatures, but it is often made far worse with factors such as work clothing and personal protective equipment.
The Health & Safety Executive website offers some good advice for employers on workplace temperatures and use of PPE and this is a good source of information to reference when reviewing risks assessments.
Some workplaces may have a dress code or uniforms which may not be well designed for very warm environments. It may be prudent for those with health & safety responsibilities discuss with HR or management about relaxing these for periods during hot weather events.
Education and monitoring
Knowledge becomes a vital weapon in this battle against the heat and employers must educate their employees, making them aware of the dangers from the scorching temperatures. Recognising heat-related illnesses or using sunscreen to protect from sunburn is important for employees so that armed with knowledge, they become their own guardians of their own well-being.
Finally, management and supervisors need to be aware of the risks from hot air temperatures as well as the control measures needed to mitigate these. Remember that there are no maximum working temperatures in UK legislation, but the HSE would expect employers to be responsible.
Climate change may mean being ever more prepared for warm weather or any other weather extremes and by doing this, employers can demonstrate they are being responsible and recognising their duty of care.
So if employees are attending summer festivals like Glastonbury, employers can ensure that they are doing so in their own holiday time and not because the workplace has been forced to shut down due to excessive heatwaves.
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