38 MPs have signed an early day motion which calls on the government to introduce legislation to ensure employers maintain a reasonable temperature in the workplace.
The motion proposes a maximum temperature of 30°C, or 27°C for workers doing strenuous work and a requirement for employers to introduce effective control measures like ventilation or moving staff to cooler areas away from windows and heat sources.
Similar calls for legislation have come from the GMB and TUC unions. The TUC has called for a requirement to stop work if indoor temperatures hit 30°C, or 27°C for strenuous jobs – whilst the GMB wants the maximum indoor temperature to be 25°C.
Currently, there is no guidance for a maximum temperature in the workplace however, an approved code of practice does set a limit on minimum workplace temperatures of 16°C, or 13°C if the work involves severe physical effort.
