temperature in the workplace. Currently, employees are expected to not
work in temperatures lower than 16°C (13°C for physical work), however
there are no limits for when the temperature gets too hot.
With summers predicted to get hotter and drier in the years to come,
the TUC warns that offices and factories will become potentially
hazardous places to work.
In their report, the TUC states that working in high temperatures can
cause the following health implications:
* Heat rashes
* Headaches
* Dizziness
* Fainting
* Heat cramps
* Affect on concentration/tiredness
TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: "Even when the summers are
bad, as last year's was, the temperature in some workplaces can be
unbearable for employees and potentially dangerous in others. No-one
is expected to work in sub-zero temperatures but overheated employees
are meant to carry on regardless of how high the office temperature
soars. We need to see action now, before the impact of climate change
is felt and our summers become hotter than ever."
A recent survey undertaken by the TUC showed that 94% of respondents
thought that their workplaces were too hot to work in last summer. 42%
of respondents stated that they worked in unbearably hot conditions on
a regular basis.
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