Is there a maximum workplace temperature what employees cannot work beyond?

In one of our latest blog posts, click here to read it, we discussed how companies should adapts dress codes to help staff feel more comfortable and therefore more productive. The next heatwave is due to hit us in mid-July and a question employees have been asking during the summer is ‘Is there a maximum temperature that staff can be expected to work in?’, much like there is a legal minimum requirement.

The Workplace Regulations 1992 state that, during working hours, the temperature in all workplaces inside buildings should be reasonable. However, the Regulations do not provide a maximum workplace temperature. The Health and Safety Executive previously defined an acceptable zone of thermal comfort for most people in the UK as lying “roughly between 13°C (56°F) and 30°C (86°F), with acceptable temperatures for more strenuous work activities concentrated towards the bottom end of the range, and for more sedentary activities towards the higher end”. What is reasonable will depend on the nature of the workplace and the activities undertaken.

For advice & guidance on things such as workplace regulations, call HPC. We are a UK leading specialist in Employment law, HR and Health and Safety Services. Email us on Support@HighPerformanceConsultancy or call us directly on 0844 800 5932.