Working in Hot Weather
At Prestige Safety Services we believe summer has arrived! The sun is out, and it is nice and warm! There is no law for maximum working temperature or when its too hot to work but employers must ensure that workplaces are at a comfortable temperature!
Is your workplace too hot or too cold?
Working in hot temperatures
There is no law for the maximum working temperature or when it is too hot to work, this is because every workplace is different.
Many indoor workplaces have high temperatures which are not down to the season but is created by work activity, for example, foundries, glass factories and furnaces where extremely hot or molten material is the main source of heat.
Employers must stick to the Health and Safety at Work Law and keep the temperature to a comfortable level and provide clean and fresh air.
How to protect workers?
As an employer you should manage the temperature in the workplace to protect employees.
When employees are too hot you can provide:
- Air cooling/air conditioning
- Fans
- Open windows to circulate air
- Shade employees by closing blinds or move them to a different desk/area if possible to do so by positioning their work station away from direct sunlight
- Provide cold water dispensers/ Chilled water from the fridge
- Allow enough breaks to allow the worker to cool down/ get cold drinks
- Unformal dress code however is Personal Protective Equipment is required make sure this is used
Wearing Personal Protective Equipment in hot temperatures
Personal Protective Equipment reduces the body’s ability to evaporate sweat. Wearing PPE in hot temperatures and high work rates may increase the risk of heat stress.
You should encourage workers to remove PPE immediately after it is needed, this prevents any heat retained in their clothing continuing to them.
PPE can cause heat stress due to its weight and because it prevents sweat evaporating from the skin. When the weather is hot, employers should:
- Allow slower work rates
- Review your PPE as newer PPE may be better and lighter as well as a better level of protection
- Change the schedule of work ours
- Review your risk assessment
- Provide facilities for PPE to be dried so it can be worn again
- Rotate staff
Ensure that employees wear PPE correctly regardless of the temperature but make sure that you are wearing PPE for the correct reasons, can your workers wear less PPE and still have the protection they require or may other controls reduce/eliminate the need for the PPE?
What to do as an employee in hot temperatures
- Ensure that you drink plenty of water
- Take regular breaks to cool down
- Ensure you are wearing suitable clothing (remove layers of clothing)
Working Outside
Working outside can impact workers health/risks if it is not managed properly, this could occur over a long or short period of time.
What to do when a worker is working in hot environments
- Provide plenty of drinking water
- Make sure PPE is light and suitable
- Ensure workers are talked to about heat stress so they can recognise the early symptoms
- Inform workers to remove PPE when on breaks to help encourage heat loss
- Provide frequent breaks and shade
- Reschedule work to cooler times of the day
When working in the sun too much sunlight can cause damage to the skin such as sunburn, and skin ageing in the long term it can lead to skin cancer
If you require new lighter more advanced PPE to get you through these hot sunny days get in touch for your PPE quote today!
Email: info@prestigesafetyservices.com
Phone: 0800 246 5014
