As temperatures rise around the globe and extreme weather events become increasingly common, the Labour party has called on the Government to introduce maximum working temperatures in the workplace.
While there is currently a legal minimum working temperature for indoor and sedentary work, there is no specific legislation stating how hot is too hot to work. For employers, however, it's still important to consider the safety and wellbeing of staff during a heatwave.
Remember your duty of care
As an employer, you have a legal duty to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of your employees at work.
While there’s ‘no maximum allowable temperature’ under Health & Safety legislation in Ireland, employers are required to create a safe and comfortable working environment. If you fail to provide suitable working conditions, your employees may be at risk of heat stress and you could be in breach of your legal safety obligations.
Relax your dress code
During periods of extreme heat, it's important to consider what your staff are wearing while at work. In determining what’s appropriate, you should consider the effects of wearing a uniform or adhering to a specific dress code for certain roles.
If your staff wear heavy uniforms, consider relaxing this policy for the duration of the hot weather. By allowing staff to wear lighter or looser clothing, you’ll reduce their risk of overheating.
Likewise, if your business requires staff to wear a tie or a suit jacket, you may choose to relax this requirement until temperatures dip again.
Consider flexible or remote working
If feasible, employers should consider shifting their working hours or allowing for staggered shifts to avoid the hottest times of day. Not only can it be difficult for employees to sit in a hot office or work outside all day, but they may also struggle with long commutes during rush hour.
It may also be helpful to implement a remote working policy during periods of extreme weather. Whether this is a possibility will vary from business to business, but employers should consider all options available to them.
Provide ventilation
Whether natural or mechanical, employers have a responsibility to provide adequate workplace ventilation.
During a heatwave, this is particularly important for regulating temperature and creating a comfortable working environment for your staff.
Carry out a risk assessment
To identify any risks to employee safety during a heatwave, you should carry out a risk assessment.
In your risk assessment, you should consider:
- Work environment: Temperature, humidity, and your employee’s proximity to heat.
- Type of work: How physically demanding the job is.
- Clothing: Whether your employee’s clothing and PPE can protect them from sun exposure and extreme temperatures.
- Vulnerable staff: Elderly staff or employees with medical conditions might find working in hot temperatures more difficult.
It’s a good idea to ask your staff how they feel about the temperature. Does anyone complain that the air is too hot or too dry? Staff should be involved in the assessment of workplace hazards, so check in with them to determine whether you need to make changes.
Be mindful of your outdoor employees
Staff who work outdoors are more exposed to risks like sunburn, dehydration, and heat exhaustion. So, it’s important to make sure your outdoor staff:
- Take regular breaks: Employees may require additional breaks to cool down, rehydrate, and recover from the physical strain of working in high temperatures
- Midday is usually when the sun’s rays are at their most intense. If possible, it might be worth adjusting your staff’s working routine so they can work in cooler periods of the day like in the early morning or evening.
- You might want to establish a shaded rest area or air-conditioned room to stay hydrated. You should provide on-site water fountains and high-factor sun cream, and avoid working in direct sunlight as much as possible.
If it isn’t feasible to keep staff out of the sun, you’ll need to make sure they take alternative protective measures.
Provide appropriate clothing or Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
If your employees spend too long in the sun without appropriate protection, they face a higher risk of suffering skin damage and, in the longer term, skin cancer.
Examples of PPE you could provide include:
- Sun cream
- Protective eyewear
- Wide-brimmed hats
If your staff are normally required to wear PPE to carry out their role, such as long trousers or hard hats, it's important that they continue to use these while temperatures are high. It may be hot, but it's still important to protect staff from all of the hazards present in the workplace.
Provide training
Ensure your staff understand the risks of failing to take action to protect themselves from sun exposure. In their training, you should:
- Encourage them to regularly check their skin for any unusual-looking dark spots or moles.
- Report symptoms or concerns and seek medical advice.
- Outline signs of sun damage, heatstroke, and dehydration.
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