Temperatures at work

The cold weather has raised the issue of temperatures at work. John McClean, the health and safety officer for the GMB general union, said it had received a large number of calls from members on the issue.

Employers are obliged by law to make sure that the temperature inside workplaces during working hours is “reasonable”. This is a minimum temperature of 16ºC or 13ºC if the work involves heavy physical effort.

There is no legal minimum for working outdoors, but McClean said an employer is obliged to undertake a risk assessment.