Contractors call for new standards to address heatwaves

Contractors are calling for industry-wide protocols to be introduced for working in heatwaves to reduce risks for site teams.

Tier 1 contractor Costain and Kori Construction said measures on PPE and risk protocols were required to manage the increasing number and length of heatwaves in the UK. There have been three heatwaves so far this summer from May-July – it is estimated that around 2,700 people died from heat in the UK in May and June.

Costain director of safety, health and environment, Gavin Bye, said the industry must evolve and respond to changing weather conditions. He said: “This might involve modernising PPE standards and material technology to ensure thermal comfort in different extreme weather conditions without compromising safety.”  

Bye added that greater adoption of modern methods of construction with offsite manufacturing would “minimise workers’ direct exposure to heat on site while improving delivery efficiency”.

Richard Ball, health, safety, environment and quality director at Kori Construction, said there needed to be set industry protocols such as “controls and risk assessments” when workplace temperatures reached a certain threshold. He said current Health and Safety Executive language on work conditions needing to be comfortable was not clear enough.

This comes amid increasing calls for maximum temperatures for working to be set in the UK. Green MP Hannah Spence last week put forward a parliamentary motion to that effect, which was backed by London mayor Sadiq Khan.

Spence, who worked in construction trades before becoming an MP this year, said extremes of weather were “putting so many people at risk”.

She said: “I had one constituent contact me about the appalling conditions he faced laying tarmac on roads in Gorton and Denton in temperatures he called unbearable. 

“We have long had guidance on a minimum workplace temperature – as temperatures rise it’s absurd that we don’t have a maximum. This is something workers and trade unions have been raising the alarm about for many years – it shouldn’t have taken this long to act, but the unsafe temperatures we’re seeing now should be a huge wake-up call.”

Spence called for an independent body to be formed to look at evidence and make recommendations on maximum temperatures. She added: “In Spain, for example, they have maximum temperatures based on the kind of work, and there’s also provision for workers to adjust their hours during heatwaves so they don’t have to work during the hottest parts of the day.

The HSE has committed to review the regulations that cover working in hot conditions. A spokesperson said: “There is already a legal duty for employers to properly assess the risks to workers from extreme heat – and we provide practical steps employers can take to keep workers safe.”

A study released last month from the School of the Built Environment at the University of Reading found that two-thirds of site workers are concerned about the impact that heat has on their health, and nearly half said they had experienced a heat-related illness such as heat stroke, heat exhaustion or dehydration.

Alba Fuertes from the school said: “Heat is already a danger for workers on construction sites and other outdoor workplaces on warm days, not a problem for some distant summer.”

Both Costain and Kori said they were able to manage the recent heatwave but that this could become much more challenging if heatwaves take place over longer periods. Ball said: “When the heatwaves are shorter it’s not a big issue.”

Kori Construction has increased its planning for working in heatwaves – such as bulk buying water ahead “rather than panic buying on the day”, said Ball.

The firm takes a project-by-project approach to working in the heat. “We look at risk areas and then make daily decisions on whether to change work schedules,” added Ball.

Kori works primarily on care home projects so is restricted to working on certain hours on site, although on one scheme it was able to negotiate with neighbouring properties to start earlier at 6.30am, Ball said.

He said he was encouraged by positive communications on the firm’s sites leading to changing work schedules – one example being cleaners who were due to clean a south-facing property but flagged concerns about the temperature.

Costain said start-of-shift briefings for all staff were essential for highlighting specific daily risks, including the weather. Bye said: “Our frontline managers use these sessions to mandate regular hydration breaks, explain the early signs of heat stress, and coordinate dynamic team rotations to limit direct sun exposure.”

Costain has altered hours, rescheduled heavy and manual work and added extra breaks, as well as increased water supply to manage during hot weather. Bye added that this was more difficult “in large-scale, built environment projects where the urban heat-island effect is more acute”.

“The most important element is strong communication between our frontline management and our workforce so everyone is engaged in the decision-making. This trust helps everyone stay aligned and, most importantly, safe,” said Bye.