Labour MP: No-one should work once it hits 30C
Workers should be given time off if workplace temperatures hit 30C, a Labour MP has demanded.
The early day motion by Linda Riordan comes as Britain basks in one of the warmest summers in recent memory, with day after day of cloudless skies delighting the public.
The temperature yesterday went above 31C, the trigger temperature for a level three heat-wave warning, with potential dangers for frail people.
Some forecasts are suggesting parts of the country could enjoy temperatures as high as 33C today.
"This House notes that whilst there is a legal minimum workplace indoor temperature there is no legal maximum workplace temperature, so that conditions can vary greatly from employer to employer," Riordan's early day motion reads.
"Employees in a wide range of workplaces – from industrial bakeries to school classrooms – are often subjected to high temperatures which can impact seriously on their health and well-being, with effects ranging from discomfort, stress, irritability and headaches, to extra strain on the heart and lungs, dizziness and fainting and heat cramps due to loss of water and salt."
The motion warns that mental and physical conditions under high temperatures can lead to workplace accidents and casualties.
It "urges the government to resolve uncertainty for employers about their duty to combat excessive heat in the workplace by introducing a maximum working workplace temperature of 30C (86F) and of 27C (81F) for those doing strenuous work".
The motion has the support of 17 MPs.
