Working in Cold Temperatures

The minimum temperature in an indoor workplace should normally be at least 16°C for sedentary work or 13°C if much of the work involves rigorous physical effort.

As an employer, there are practical steps you can take to keep people as comfortable as possible when working in the cold.

Assessing the risks

Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations, employers must:

• assess the risks to workers
• put controls in place to protect them

Temperature in the workplace is one of the risks you should assess, whether the work is being done indoors or outdoors.

You should consult with workers or their representatives on the best ways to cope with high or low temperatures.

Outdoor working

When working outdoors, the weather can have a serious impact on worker’s health if the risks have not been properly managed.

This impact may be immediate or occur over a longer time, leading to conditions like skin cancer.

The weather can also affect a worker’s ability to keep safe, for example when handling machinery.

There are simple actions you can take to protect people working outdoors.

Cold environments

• Ensure the personal protective equipment issued is appropriate
• Provide mobile facilities for warming up, and soup or hot drinks
• Introduce more frequent rest breaks
• Consider delaying the work until warmer times of the year without compromising on safety
• Make sure workers can recognise the early symptoms of cold stress, such as a cough or body aches

Please feel free to contact us here at Spectra where a Consultant can provide help and advice on how to protect workers.