A maximum workplace temperature and mandatory air conditioning for some schools and hospitals could be introduced in the UK in the future as the country adapts to extreme heat.
Climate minister Katie White said the Government is looking “closely” at options to improve the nation’s resilience to hot weather in line with the Climate Change Committee’s (CCC) latest report.
The UK recorded its hottest ever June day on Wednesday with temperatures surpassing 36C.
Air conditioning for schools and hospitals in high‑risk areas, alongside maximum workplace temperature regulations, were recommended in the landmark climate report. The report urged ministers to bring forward these measures in the next two years.
Speaking to The i Paper earlier this week, White also suggested climate change needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency: “It’s sweltering right now… I think it’s a reminder that this isn’t about something in the future; this is about what’s happening right now. Whether it’s around people trying to get their kids to sleep tonight or farmers looking at their crops, worried about the impacts of that.”
Asked what the Government is doing to support people through the heatwave, she referred to the CCC’s report, saying: “We’re looking as a Government closely at those options of how to look at that resilience in the future.”
The report which looked at how the UK could be well-adapted to extreme weather will inform the Government’s upcoming Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA) in January 2027. This will be followed by the next National Adaptation Programme, which is due to be published in 2028 and will set out the Government’s response.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), which is in charge of workplace regulations, said it has “no plans” to introduce a maximum workplace temperature currently but refused to rule out introducing a limit before the end of this Parliament in 2029.
It comes as London Mayor Sadiq Khan demanded a maximum working temperature after the Met Office issued a red weather warning.
The record for the hottest ever June day on record has been broken, with temperatures soaring to 36.1C in Gosport, Hampshire.
There is currently no official legislation or guidance on the maximum temperature for schools or workplaces in the UK, despite hundreds of schools across England and Wales closing for this June heatwave and commuters being advised not to travel. The subject is divisive with workers’ unions and some politicians in favour, while many business groups are against it.
The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has led calls for a specific legal maximum temperature for indoor work of 30°C, or 27°C for strenuous work, arguing that the current Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidance on safe working temperatures includes a minimum temperature but not a maximum.
Several unions, including Unison, GMB and the retail union Usdaw, have backed the calls, with Usdaw saying that “no one should have to work in extreme and dangerous conditions”. GMB national officer Stacey Booth added that “no pupil or member of staff should be expected to learn or work in unsafe levels of heat”.
The CCC’s report sets out three key recommendations to “drive forward adaptation in the next two years”, including a legal maximum workplace temperature and air conditioning for schools and hospitals in “areas at greatest risk”.
The third recommendation is to accelerate schemes to help vulnerable people, such as those on low-income, to access cooling measures like heat pumps that are capable of cooling as well as heating.
A maximum workplace temperature could pressure businesses responsible for investing in cooling measures to ensure offices and other workplaces are safe for employees. The temperature limit refers to the heat inside a building, such as an office or shop, rather than the number showing on the thermometer outside.
Businesses have pushed back at calls to introduce a limit, stressing that it is not practical. Small independent shops are also worried that it would force them to close during hot weather.
Construction firms are already unable to switch shift patterns to cooler times of the day because of noise regulations.
Some business leaders have called for a more holistic approach, such as hydration breaks for staff. Kate Nicholls, boss of UKHospitality, told the Financial Times “arbitrary targets can get in the way of productive discussions with teams about comfort and management of workplace matters”.
The CCC does not suggest a specific maximum temperature, but points to Spain, where the maximum legal working temperature indoors is 27C for sedentary work and 25C for light physical work.
Existing health and safety regulations place a legal duty on employers to provide a “reasonable” temperature in indoor workplaces and to “properly assess the risks to workers from extreme heat”, according to the Health & Safety Executive (HSE).
The HSE is currently undertaking a review of its guidance – which dates back to 1992 – to ensure it reflects a modern workplace.
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