With the country experiencing a deep January chill and Storm Goretti approaching, it’s a good moment to remind everyone about managing workplace temperatures and protecting staff from the effects of cold conditions.
While there isn’t a specific legal minimum indoor temperature, the law does require employers to provide a reasonable working environment, including temperature, as part of their health and safety duties. According to HSE guidance, an indoor working temperature should normally be at least 16°C, or 13°C if the work involves vigorous physical effort. But what matters most is assessing and managing the risks to people’s health and safety as the weather bites.
Under the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations, employers must assess temperature-related risks and put control measures in place where needed.
Depending on the work and environment, these may include:
Providing adequate heating in indoor work areas
Insulating or shielding particularly cold work areas
Offering warm breaks and access to hot drinks
Adjusting work patterns or tasks during periods of extreme cold
Providing appropriate PPE, especially for outdoor or cold-environment work
It’s also important to consider individuals with particular needs, such as those with certain health conditions or anyone working outdoors, who may be affected by cold conditions.
Cold isn’t just uncomfortable – it can affect focus, manual dexterity and wellbeing. Encouraging staff to speak up if temperatures feel unsafe or uncomfortable, and acting quickly where concerns are raised, will help ensure the workplace remains a healthy and productive environment as the mercury drops.
And remember – temperature controls should form part of a company’s overall risk assessment, rather than being treated as a stand-alone issue.
For more guidance on what employers should consider when managing workplace temperatures and protecting staff, visit the HSE’s Temperature in the Workplace web page.
We have worked with Safewell for many years and are retained clients, so we have developed an excellent working relationship with the team. However, this really came into its own when Covid 19 appeared.
As a Plumbing and Heating business, we were able to carry on working during the lockdown but only for responding to emergencies. We were obviously very concerned about the health and safety of our employees and before we even had chance to get in touch with Safewell, they had emailed us offering their assistance. It is hard to put down on paper how that made us feel - we like everyone else felt totally at sea, which way to turn, what to do? But Safewell were there guiding, supporting and being totally brilliant. Their attention to detail is very impressive and reassuring and we feel able to ask lots of questions without feeling silly.
During the pandemic Safewell helped us to write risk assessments, safety procedures and protocols. They kept in touch regularly, issuing new guidance as soon as it appeared and checking in with us. They held group Q&A sessions over Zoom which were helpful, and knowing other businesses were facing the same challenges and having the opportunity to discuss issues was invaluable. Their help during the preparation for a full return to work was brilliant, they enabled us to be fully prepared and feel in control, and when we had our first case of Covid within the team, because we had planned our response it felt ok.
I think our team felt very reassured by our robust approach and that our office was Covid secure. We are extremely grateful to all the team at Safewell
