News Update 

With heat health alerts making headlines, many employers are asking the same question: is there a legal maximum working temperature?

The short answer is no. UK law doesn’t set a maximum workplace temperature, but that doesn’t remove an employer’s responsibility to manage heat-related risks.

Instead of prescribing a specific temperature limit, the law requires employers to provide a reasonable working environment and assess risks from excessive heat, just as they would any other workplace hazard.

In practice, that means focusing on what people are actually experiencing rather than chasing a magic number. If employees are struggling with the heat, it’s time to take action.

Simple controls can make a big difference:

• Hydration and breaks – more frequent, not just longer
• Ventilation and shade – fans, air conditioning where available, or simply moving work out of direct sun
• Rescheduling – shifting physically demanding or outdoor tasks away from the hottest part of the day
• PPE review – protective clothing that’s essential in normal conditions can become a genuine heat stress risk in extreme heat, so it’s worth checking whether any adjustments are possible without compromising the protection it’s there for
• Relaxed dress codes – a small, low-cost change that often gets overlooked
• Monitoring, not guessing – simple thermometer logs, or Wet Bulb Globe Temperature readings in higher-risk environments, help you spot problems before someone’s actually unwell

The law might change in future

Workplace temperature rules are shifting. The HSE is currently reviewing its Approved Code of Practice to modernise guidance for extreme heat. At the same time, the Climate Change Committee has urged the government to set a national maximum workplace temperature, aligning with long-standing union campaigns for a legal limit of 30° (or 27° for strenuous roles).

While no official timeline or legal changes have been confirmed, the policy debate is very active. Instead of waiting for a specific legal cap, employers should proactively manage heat as a serious workplace risk using a standard, common-sense safety approach.

See HSE’s workplace temperature guidelines.