Employers Must Prepare for a Warmer Future, warns HSE

EMPLOYERS NEED to act now to make sure their workplaces, both indoors and outdoors, are ready for warmer weather in the future.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is advising businesses to consider how they need to adapt to warmer working conditions for their staff.

After last month’s record-breaking temperatures, and with more hot weather expected this week, HSE is asking employers to ensure extreme heat becomes part of their long-term planning.

With temperatures reaching an unprecedented 40^oC in some parts of England in July, adapting to climate change is something all businesses will need to consider as warmer weather becomes more frequent.

Assessing Risks from Heatwaves

Employers have a legal obligation under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations to assess risks to the health and safety of workers. They must review the risk controls they have in place and update them if needed. This includes risks from more frequent extreme weather such as heatwaves.

While there is no maximum temperature for workplaces, 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.

John Rowe, HSE’s Acting Head of Operational Strategy, said: “We expect employers to take this recent weather event as the prompt to review how they assess the risk of high temperatures in their workplace and identify now those changes that will future proof them.

“All workplaces need to acknowledge that the working environment is changing. The extreme heat that we have witnessed of late isn’t going to stop and we want employers to plan and respond to this now.”

Working in the Sun

Outdoor workers, including roofers, are being made aware of the dangers of sun exposure when working outside for long periods of time.

Too much sunlight is harmful to your skin. It can cause skin damage including sunburn, blistering and skin ageing and in the long term can lead to an increased risk of skin cancer. Roofers also get exposed to high temperatures and very humid weather, which can also lead to heat exhaustion.

Some of the ways roofing employers can protect their employees in the heat are:

• rescheduling work to cooler times of the day
• providing more frequent rest breaks and introducing shading to rest areas
• providing free access to cool drinking water
• introducing shading in areas where individuals are working
• educating workers about recognising the early symptoms of heat stress

>> Read more about heatwaves in the news