Employers guide

This section outlines your responsibilities as an employer, and suggests some ways you can manage a heat stress, thermal comfort, or cold stress, problem in your workplace.

Managing workplace temperature

In workplaces where temperature effects in indoor environments are a risk, it is vital that management provides a visible commitment to the health and well-being of their employees.

In many workplaces, temperature concerns may only occur during unscheduled repair and maintenance work, when heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems either break down or don't work as intended, eg during the hottest or coldest months. When this occurs, it is important to consider the possible impact of thermal discomfort has on employees.

It is the responsibility of management to ensure that a company adapts as necessary to reduce or eliminate the risk of thermal discomfort amongst the employees.

If thermal discomfort is a risk, and your employees are complaining and/or reporting illnesses that may be caused by the thermal environment, then you will be required to review the situation and if necessary implement appropriate controls to manage the risks:

• You may need to train and/or re-train staff. Training may be required for the thermal comfort/stress risk assessments, analysis of data, interpretation of results and implementation of controls. Training may also be required to explain to staff how, by modifying their working practices (such as clothing worn, work rate etc), they may be able to adapt to their thermal environment.
• The thermal conditions may need to be monitored and where possible recorded.
• Health surveillance or medical screening may be required for staff who have special requirements such as pregnancy, certain illnesses, disabilities and/or maybe taking medication or are working in known cold/heat stress environments. Medical advice should be sought if necessary.
• Adequate and appropriate risk assessment procedures are essential. Records of all procedures and results should be kept as part of your risk management programme.
• Working habits and current practices need to be reviewed periodically and (where necessary) changed, to meet your obligations to control the risks your employees may face.

When people are too hot

You can help ensure thermal comfort in warm conditions by:

• placing insulating materials around hot plant and pipes;
• providing air-cooling or air conditioning plant;
• providing fans, eg desk, pedestal or ceiling-mounted fans;
• ensuring that windows can be opened;
• shading employees from direct sunlight with blinds or by using reflective film on windows to reduce the heating effects of the sun;
• siting workstations away from direct sunlight or other situations or objects that that radiate heat (eg plant, machinery);
• providing additional facilities, eg cold water dispensers (water is preferable to caffeine or carbonated drinks). Introducing formal systems of work to limit exposure, eg flexible working patterns, job rotation, workstation rotation etc;
• allowing sufficient breaks to enable employees to get cold drinks or cool down;
• relaxing formal dress code – but you must ensure that personal protective equipment is provided and used if required.

When people are too cold

You can help ensure thermal comfort when working in the cold by:

• providing adequate workplace heating, eg portable heaters;
• reducing cold exposure by designing processes that minimise exposure to cold areas and cold products where possible;
• reducing draughts;
• providing insulating floor coverings or special footwear when workers have to stand for long periods on cold floors;
• providing appropriate protective clothing for cold environments
• introducing formal systems of work to limit exposure, eg flexible working patterns, job rotation;
• providing sufficient breaks to enable employees to get hot drinks or to warm up in heated areas.

PPE and thermal comfort

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is considered to be a ‘last resort’ to protect workers from the hazards in the workplace (PPE Regulations 1992).

PPE reduces the body’s ability to evaporate sweat. Additionally, if the PPE is cumbersome or heavy it may contribute to an increase in the heat being generated inside the body.

Wearing PPE in warm/hot environments and/or with high work rates may increase the risk of heat stress.

Removal of PPE after exposure (and where necessary allowing it to dry out or replace with dry PPE before permitting re-entry) will prevent any heat retained in the clothing from continuing to heat the worker.

PPE may prevent the wearer from adapting to their environment by removing clothing because to do so would expose them to the hazard that the PPE is intended to protect them from. However, people may not wear their PPE correctly (eg undo fasteners to increase air movement into the garment) and thereby expose themselves to the primary hazard.

Find out more on how to measure/assess/manage the workplace thermal environment

• Resources
• British, European and International standards relevant to working in thermal environments
• British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS)
• Chartered Institution of Building Service Engineers (CIBSE)