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Safety Net Journal Issue 1 |
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Too hot at work? Tell HSE what you think!
By Doug Russell
HSE is trialling new guidance on thermal comfort on its website. This is your chance to log on and tell them what you think.
Feeling too hot or cold when in the workplace can have a bad effect on the workforce. The HSE web pages explain that thermal comfort relates to peoples' state of mind and is more than just room temperature. Other factors such as humidity, sources of heat in the workplace, clothing and the physical efort involved in the work can all be important. The HSE guidance is meant to help explain how these factors interact - and how simple measures such as relaxing uniform or dress codes in warm weather to allow workers to take off jackets and ties can help in some cases.
From Usdaw's point of view the web pages are disappointing. They give information on the causes of thermal discomfort but don't give you the tools to work out when it is occurring. Its a good start to help in tackling a year round problem in workplaces where its either too hot or too cold. But there is still some way to go to make employers understand the real effect of poor thermal conditions in the workplace and to take action to improve things. Unfortunately a ready-reckoner that was being developed by the HSE has not made it onto the web pages. This would have allowed reps to put in figures for the temperature and other factors to show employers just how much discomfort staff would be feeling.
Usdaw has been campaigning for some indication of maximum reasonable temperatures to be included in the Approved Code of Practice(ACoP) to the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) regulations. The minimum reasonable temperatures quoted in the ACoP are extremely useful in getting improvements when members have to work in cold conditions. We think the advice on the new web pages is just too complicated and vague.
Click here to have a look yourselves and let HSE know what you think.
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