Bosses urged to protect workers from extreme heat

Heat is classed as a hazard affecting people working indoors and outdoors and should be treated like other hazards.

HSE is asking employers to discuss with workers changes to manage the risk.

Some of the “simple and cheap” measures the HSE is asking employers to consider for managing heat risks include:

Nottingham-based engineering firm CNTL found that measures that helped staff included replacing light bulbs with LEDs, which give off less heat, and changing working hours. 

HSE’s head of operational strategy, John Rowe, said: “Last summer should have been a wakeup call for all employers. Climate change means we’re likely to get hotter summers and that could have a big impact on the workforce of this country, affecting everything from health of workers to productivity on construction sites.

“We know all employers are under pressure and we don’t want to add to their burden, but it’s vital they think hard now about simple and cheap measures they can put in place to support workers should we see extreme heat again this summer.

“The extreme heat we experienced in 2022 isn’t going away so sensible, supportive employers will be planning now how they should respond.”

Last summer, HSE saw a surge in people seeking advice. Visits to its online hot weather working guidance increased by nearly 1,000% and the number of concerns relating to hot weather reported to HSE almost doubled in July, when temperatures exceeded 40°C for the first time.

This article was first published in Construction Management.