TOO HOT, TOO COLD

UK workers are sweltering or shivering, and bosses need to protect them

Britain’s small and micro businesses are having to cope with some volatile temperatures: scorching summers, freezing winters and workplaces that feel more like saunas or ice boxes than safe working environments.

Despite expectations to the contrary, there are no legal maximum or minimum workplace temperatures in the UK.

Millions of workers are relying on common sense, risk assessments, and bosses doing the right thing to stay safe.

With heatwaves rising and cold snaps getting sharper, bosses need to think through how to protect their people before someone gets hurt.

WHAT THE LAW SAYS

1. No legal maximum temperature

There’s no official “too hot” limit even if your workshop feels like a sauna. However, all workers are entitled to an environment where risks to their health and safety are properly controlled. Heat is classed as a hazard and comes with legal obligations like any other hazard. Find out what you should do to protect workers in high temperatures.

2. No legal minimum temperature for outdoor work

Builders, gardeners, delivery drivers and outdoor crews can legally work in freezing conditions, although employers must manage the risks.

3. Indoor workplaces must be “reasonable”

The law says temperatures must be “reasonable” in indoor workplaces but there’s no clear definition as to what is reasonable. There’s no number or threshold attached to “reasonable”.

4. Employers MUST protect workers from heat and cold

Under health and safety rules, bosses must:

• assess risks

• provide protection

• adapt working conditions

• prevent harm

If they don’t, they’re breaking the law. However, that’s all very much open to interpretation.

WHEN IT’S TOO HOT TO WORK

Heatwaves are hitting harder every year and small firms are struggling to adjust.

Signs it’s too hot:

• workers dizzy or faint

• headaches

• dehydration

• heat exhaustion

• heat stroke (a medical emergency)

Indoor workplaces like kitchens, workshops, hairdressers, warehouses and factories can hit 30°C+  and reach dangerous levels.

Outdoor workers face:

• direct sun

• reflective heat

• hot machinery

• long shifts

• no shade

WHEN IT’S TOO COLD TO WORK

Cold snaps can be just as dangerous. Risks include:

• hypothermia

• frostbite

• reduced dexterity making using tools dangerous

• slower reaction times

• slips and falls

• machinery malfunctions

Outdoor workers are most exposed but indoor workers in draughty units, old buildings or unheated workshops are also at risk.

The Approved Code of Practice on the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations suggests the minimum temperature for working indoors should normally be at least:

• 16°C or

• 13°C if much of the work involves rigorous physical effort

You can find more advice on protecting workers from feeling too cold.

WHAT SMALL AND MICRO BOSSES MUST DO

1. Provide shade, breaks and hydration in heat

Cold water, shaded areas, fans, ventilation; simple but lifesaving.

2. Provide warm gear and shelter in cold

Thermal gloves, jackets, boots, heated rest areas.

3. Change shift patterns

Start earlier, finish later, avoid midday heat or freezing dawns.

4. Rotate tasks

Don’t leave one worker exposed for hours.

5. Improve ventilation

Fans, open windows, extraction systems.

6. Train staff to spot danger signs

Heat exhaustion and hypothermia escalate fast.

7. Do a proper risk assessment

It’s legally required and protects you if something goes wrong.

OUTDOOR WORKERS ARE MOST AT RISK

Builders, roofers, landscapers, delivery drivers, scaffolders, road crews, face the worst conditions. In a small firm you could be working in 30‑degree heat with no shade in summer or freezing on site in winter and not able to use tools safely because your hands are numb. Bosses must protect workers or face fines and legal action.

THE COST OF GETTING IT WRONG

If a worker collapses, suffers heat stroke, gets frostbite or is injured because of temperature conditions, employers face:

• Investigations by the Health and Safety Executive

• fines

• compensation claims

• lost staff

• damaged reputation

Small firms can’t afford that.

LOOKING AFTER WORKER WELLBEING

• cold water stations

• shaded rest areas

• warm break rooms

• proper PPE

• flexible hours

• regular breaks

• mental health check‑ins

• clear reporting routes

• “stop work” authority if conditions are unsafe

These aren’t luxuries but lifesavers and save small business owners from fines.

Britain’s temperatures are getting more extreme and small businesses are on the frontline.

There may be no legal maximum or minimum temperature, but there IS a legal duty to keep workers safe:

• protect your people

• adapt your workplace

• plan for heat and cold

• act before someone gets hurt

A safe team is a productive team, and a protected business is a stronger business. If bosses think they can’t afford to take reasonable steps to keep workers safe, they most certainly can’t afford fines, compensations claims and court cases.

More information

The Approved Code of Practice on the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare)