STATUTORY MAXIMUM WORKING TEMPERATURE

Early day motion 344, tabled 18 July 2016 by Ian Mearns (Labour). Signed by 158 members.

That this House notes that workers in the UK lack adequate legal safeguards from working in uncomfortably high temperatures, owing to the lack of a statutory maximum temperature at which employers would have to introduce control measures, such as breaks, access to water or air conditioning; further notes that this would correct an anomaly in current legislation where a legal minimum working temperature exists, but a corresponding upper limit does not exist in statute; appreciates that excessive heat in the workplace is responsible for heat stress and thermal discomfort, and can impact seriously on health, well-being and productivity; recognises that this is a matter of concern for workers in a wide range of workplaces including offices, schools, shops, bakeries, vehicles, trains, call-centres, theatres and construction sites; and calls on the Government to adopt the recommendations of the TUC and joint union Cool It campaign to introduce into law a maximum working temperature of 30 degrees Celsius or 27 degrees Celsius for those doing strenuous work, beyond which employers would have a statutory duty to introduce effective control measures.

Signatures by party: Labour 73, Scottish National Party 49, Labour/Co-operative 9, DUP 7, Liberal Democrat 6, Conservative 4, Plaid Cymru 3, Social Democratic and Labour Party 3, Independent 2, Green 1, UUP 1.