HR & Safety Newsletter No: 81 - Workplaces Heat Up – Literally!!

True to form, as we are in the midst of another heatwave, those of us who spend all of our time indoors at work will no doubt, in our spare time, be heading out into our gardens, outdoor spaces, or up the coast in an attempt to stop ourselves looking lily white any longer.  Alternatively, if you are not a sun seeker then heading for air-conditioned venues may be your preferred option. In contrast, those employees that spend large amounts of time working outdoors have the opposite problem of making sure that their skin is not over exposed and they keep well hydrated, especially when doing physical work.  So, what do the experts tell us about this British opportunity of a potentially decent summer?

The Met Office has published a range of useful guides which can be found by going to their Warnings & Advice page on their website, which provides guidance from such organisations as UK Health Security Agency, NHS UK, Age UK and British Veterinary Association to encourage us to be prepared for and enjoy the summer, including:

• UK Health Security Agency - Beat the Heat: Keep Cool at Home Checklist

• NHS UK – Recognising signs of heat exhaustion and heatstroke

• Age UK – Advice to help Older People to protect themselves

• British Veterinary Association – Tips on keeping Pets safe

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) considers matters within the work place reminding organisations and Managers responsible for workers whose job keeps them outside for most of the day.  Their relevant leaflet INDG147: Keep your Top On gives advice on reducing the health risks for employees when they are working in the sun.

The leaflet advises outdoor workers to follow the sun protection five-point code:

1. Keep your top on! Cover up by wearing appropriate clothing.

2. Stay in the shade wherever possible, especially at break times.

3. Use a high factor sunscreen (at least SPF15) on any exposed skin.

4. Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration.

5. Watch for symptoms that include: appearance of new moles or spots, changes to shape, size, colour of moles and spots or if they itch or bleed (seek medical advice).

Employers or Managers responsible for outdoor workers should: 

• Make their workers aware of the above points.

• Include sun protection advice in routine health and safety training, as well as informing workers that a tan is not healthy, but a sign that skin has already been damaged by the sun.

• Make sure that they drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration, siting water points and rest areas in the shade.

• Encourage workers to keep covered up with hats and long-sleeved shirts during the summer months, especially at lunch time when the sun is at its hottest.

• Encourage workers to use sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15.

• Consult with employees and take their views into account when introducing any new sun safety initiatives.

The HSE says, "UV radiation should be considered an occupational hazard for people who work outdoors" so this needs to be considered as part of any generic workplace risk assessment undertaken. 

Other workers that need to be considered are those that work in hot conditions all year round but when there is additional summer heat their environments can get even hotter.  These can range from professional kitchens, bakeries, laundries and boiler rooms through to heavy industrial processing activities, such as smelting or welding.  These workers are at risk of heat stress which is when the body's means of controlling its internal temperature starts to fail.  Air temperature, work rate, humidity and work clothing are all factors that can cause heat stress; the problem being is that it is not an obvious risk to people that are only passing through rather than actually working there. 

Factors to reduce risks include:

• Control the temperature, e.g. fans or air conditioning.

• Provide mechanical aids to reduce work rates.

• Regulate the length of exposure, e.g. job rotation.

• Prevent dehydration encouraging people to drink small amounts frequently during and after working.

• Provide training about heat risks, symptoms of heat stress, safe working practices and emergency procedures.  Make sure first aiders know about what to look out for and what treatment to provide as well.   

• Allow workers to acclimatise to their environment and assess whether they are fit to work.

• Identify those who may be more susceptible due to illness, a medical condition or medication that can bring on early onset of heat stress e.g. pregnant women or those with heart conditions. 

• Monitor the health of workers at risk and seek OH advice if necessary.

There is a useful example of a stress heat risk assessment at:  https://www.hse.gov.uk/temperature/assets/docs/heat-stress-checklist.pdf   

They have also produced a guide on heat stress -  Heat Stress in the Workplace – which provides a brief guide and more information.

Finally, for those that are simply suffering the heat in an office environment, there is no upper temperature limit that employers must adhere to.  However, the Workplace, Health, Safety & Welfare Regulations do require that working areas should be adequately ventilated with clean fresh air draw from a source outside of the workplace with suitable circulation.  This can mean opening windows to switching on the air conditioning.  Don't forget that those air conditioning units need to be periodically serviced so that filters can be cleaned to reduce the risk of legionella.  High quality drinking water must be readily available to all workers.  Even workers that spend many hours in a vehicle driving can suffer with heat exhaustion increasing the risk of accidents to make sure that they carry plenty of fresh drinking water in their vehicles, switch on the air conditioning, and take appropriate rests especially when driving at the hottest time of the day.  The HSE have produced some guidance about managing workplace temperature entitled Temperature in the Workplace.

So, check that your risk assessments cover this welcome advent of the sun, and make sure that your control measure are adequate for all of your workers, indoors and out, and anyway in between!

The BackupHR team will be pleased to advise you on any element of the issues arising from this newsletter.