Too hot to handle: Britain’s workplaces struggling in the heat

Outdoor workers — especially those in agriculture, construction, and the gig economy — face the most immediate risks. But indoor workers aren’t immune. Poor ventilation, lack of cooling infrastructure, and outdated building designs mean many are left to work in stifling conditions.

Legally, there is no legal maximum temperature for workplaces in Great Britain. However, according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), ‘all workers are entitled to an environment where risks to their health and safety are properly controlled. Heat is classed as a hazard and comes with legal obligations like any other hazard’.

From a regulatory perspective, the HSE requires employers to maintain a “reasonable” temperature. To identify what constitutes ‘reasonable’ employers must undertake a risk assessment, and put in place controls to prevent issues. If there are times when employers identify their workers are at risk from extreme temperatures, then the HSE provides a ‘heat stress checklist’ along with guidance on managing workplace temperatures.  

If the risk assessment process – with controls identified and implemented – is not undertaken, many workers may be left to work in conditions that are not only uncomfortable but potentially harmful to their health and safety.

But what does all this mean now, as temperatures are getting hotter, and our ways of working continue to change? 

In recent years, people have become more aware of how heat affects health, and there’s growing evidence of the need to protect against heat-related illnesses. Heat stress can make it harder for people to work safely and effectively. When it's too hot, the body has to work harder to stay cool, which can lead to health problems like dehydration, heat exhaustion, or even heat stroke. People may also change how they behave — like taking more breaks, working slower, or avoiding work altogether — to cope with the heat.

For outdoor workers, such as those in agriculture, construction, and transport, the risks are even more acute. Those in precarious working conditions face additional precarity with little recourse to demand safer conditions.

But more effective legislation and enforcement is just one part of the equation. Whereby we do need legislation and we do need our regulatory activity, but voluntary guidelines and standards, workplace information and training, awareness campaigns, and industry good practices can also help create safer working environments.

Businesses don’t have to wait around for formal upper limit rules; legislation, approved code of practice and guidance from the regulator are also already there. Undertaking risk assessments with a focus on ‘heat’ as a hazard, with identified and implemented control measures, which includes keeping staff informed and trained on these types of hazards is something employers should already be familiar with, and isn’t impossible. Employers can take proactive steps in adaptation and mitigation strategies —like adjusting work hours, providing cooling stations, and encouraging hydration. It is also recommended that employers analyse the impact of heat stress on business continuity and supply chain management.

The government also has an important role to play. This includes investment in climate-resilient building design and retrofitting. The development of cooling infrastructure also needs to be considered. And a preventative approach to heat-related extremes through capacity building in occupational health and safety, occupational health programmes, and occupational health surveillance is crucial.

Ultimately, we must ensure that solutions are sustainable and accessible to all, not just the privileged few.