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Temperature and heat in the workplace

Your rights around heat in the workplace, and advice and guidance for working in high temperatures.

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Is there a maximum working temperature?

There is no formal legal maximum working temperature.

Workplace temperature is covered by Regulation 7 of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations (WHSWR) 1992. These regulations are over 30 years old, when low temperatures in factories and industrial settings were more of a concern than heat.

However, there are guidelines for managers and workers facing high temperatures. Regulation 7 of the Workplace Health, Safety and Welfare Regulations (WHSWR) states:

1) During working hours, the temperature in all workplaces inside buildings shall be reasonable.

1A) Without prejudice to the generality of paragraph (1)

(a) a workplace shall be adequately thermally insulated where it is necessary, having regard to the type of work carried out and the physical activity of the persons carrying out the work; and

(b) excessive effects of sunlight on temperature shall be avoided.

The TUC is campaigning for a legally enforceable maximum indoor workplace temperature of 30°C (27°C for strenuous work) to address the ambiguity of the existing legal framework which currently mandates a “reasonable” temperature.

TUC- Is there a maximum temperature in workplaces?

What should I do if the temperature in my workpace is uncomfortably high?

If the temperature in your workplace is too hot to comfortably work, you should inform your line manager, who should take all reasonable steps to achieve a reasonably comfortable temperature, for example by:

  • providing air-cooling plant;
  • shading windows;
  • siting workstations away from places subject to radiant heat.

If a reasonably comfortable temperature cannot be achieved throughout a workroom, local cooling should be provided. In extremely hot weather, fans and increased ventilation may be used instead of local cooling.

Thermometers should be available at suitable locations in every part of the workplace, but do not need to be provided in each workroom.

Suitable protective clothing and rest facilities should be provided in instances where local cooling fails to give reasonable comfort.  Where practical, there should be systems of work (eg task rotation) to ensure the amount of time individual workers are exposed to uncomfortable temperatures is limited

What should I do if I feel unwell because of the heat?

If you feel unwell as a result of the workplace temperature, you should inform your line manager and go home, as long as it is safe for your to do so.

You can also report this as an incident on the University’s AIR system.