Employers warned over health and safety as heat bites

Workers may be legally entitled to leave the office during this week's predicted high temperatures, if employers fail to follow health and safety rules, an employment lawyer has said.

Liam Entwistle, employment law specialist at Wright, Johnston & Mackenzie LLP, has urged employers to follow guidance on keeping staff safe as an amber weather warning comes into force across large parts of Scotland from Galloway to Dundee.

Temperatures could reach 30C today and tomorrow, while London has been forecast to peak at a UK all time high of 40C.

Mr Entwistle advised: “When we’re experiencing extreme temperatures, it’s important for employers to be mindful of their duty of care to staff to provide a reasonable temperature in the workplace, and follow health and safety guidelines. 

“Bosses should be mindful of the thermal comfort of their staff when temperatures soar, in order to avoid complaints from disgruntled employees, or, at worse, personal injury claims.

“If it gets too hot to work, and enough employees complain, employers should listen, carry out a risk assessment, and then put effective cooling measures in place.

“Employers have a duty to make sure their staff members aren’t put at risk of heatstroke, exhaustion or dehydration.

“As always, it’s important that employers and staff members communicate if the workplace isn’t comfortable, and are able to do so without fear of criticism. Employers should be very aware that some employees may feel thermal discomfort more acutely than others – for example female employees going through the menopause.”