Heatwave alert

Unite is urging workers to stay safe in the sun, and the second heatwave of the year is forecast to bring brutal temperatures across the UK.

With workers once again melting under heatwave conditions the call for a national maximum working temperature for workers continues to grow.

The extreme weather warning has been issued across parts of the UK for this week, which indicates dangerous weather is expected with a high likelihood of risk to life.

Unite’s Health and Safety Unit circulated a “Working in Hot Weather” briefing this morning, with Unite national health and safety adviser Rob Miguel saying, “The Met Office has extended an Amber Extreme heat warning (Tuesday, 23rd June) and Red Extreme Heat warning (Wednesday 24th and Thursday 25th June) as temperatures look to build later this week and early next week for much of England and Wales.

“The Met Office advice highlights likely adverse health effects for the public, not just limited to those most vulnerable to extreme heat, and it is vital that employers ensure their staff are not put in any risk of danger from the extreme heat.”

Already hundreds of schools have made the decision to close early during the peak of the heatwave, and in some areas bin workers will be starting their rounds earlier this week amid the extreme heat.

Somerset, Cheltenham and Bristol have so far implemented earlier collection times, with others expected to follow. In a statement Bristol Waste advised residents to place their bins out by 5am “to keep our hard working crews safe in the extreme heat forecast”.

Unite has also been taking action to support its bus drivers experiencing sweltering conditions at work, and last year issued all its bus driver members with an official letter to show to management when conditions become too hot in drivers’ cabs, informing the company that the driver is stopping work for safety reasons. 

Unite has been working with the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and other unions to fight for a max temperature to be set, relevant to workplace and environment. 

The union is demanding a change in the law so that employers must attempt to reduce temperatures if they get too high, and strenuous work is limited, scheduled for cooler hours and stopped completely if a certain temperature threshold is met.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is in the process of updating its guidance on safe working temperatures, guidance that currently includes a minimum temperature, but not maximum temperature.

The TUC is asking people to tell the HSE that they cannot ignore the risks associated with excessive heat and sun exposure, and that we need a maximum working temperature to keep people safe.

TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said:  “With heatwaves becoming more common, we need to adapt. We need new laws on maximum working temperatures, improvements to workplaces to keep them cool, and climate action to reduce global heating.”

You can add your voice to the call by signing the petition saying that “We need a maximum working temperature” here.

The British Red Cross has produced guidance on heatwaves in the UK, and how to cope with extreme heat, here.

Unite urged workers to stay safe in the sun, and reminded people that whilst a max temperature is not currently set under the Health and Safety at World Act of 1974, and the Workplace Regulations of 1992, employers still have a legal and moral duty to protect the health and safety of their staff.

Unite has published Health and Safety guidance for workplace reps, and also produced a template letter you can use to call your employer to take action – here. 

By Keith Hatch