UK personal injury solicitors may be able to help you out of a sticky situation
Summer's swiftly approaching and the heat is on for employers throughout the UK. Last year's heat wave saw employees flagging all over the place and, with temperatures set to saw during Summer 2007, more of the same is expected.
June-August ought to be about taking dips at the beach, indulging in cool ice cream and picnics in the shade not searching for the best UK personal injury solicitor to represent you in a case against your employer. However, heat stress in the workplace is a very real phenomenon and something that both employees and employers should be aware of.
Working conditions and the law
There are very strict guidelines in place about the minimum temperature that workers should be exposed to. However, the law concerning the maximum temperature is not quite so stringent.
Regulation seven of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 refers to temperature in indoor workplaces and sates that, "During working hours, the temperature in all workplaces inside buildings shall be reasonable. However, the application of the regulation depends on the nature of the workplace i.e. a bakery, a cold, store, an office, a warehouse."
According to Thermal Comfort in the Workplace by the HSE, "An acceptable zone of thermal comfort for most people in the UK lies roughly between 13°C (56°F) and 30°C (86°F), with acceptable temperatures for more strenuous work activities concentrated towards the bottom end of the range, and more sedentary activities towards the higher end."
In July last year, The TUC warned employers to keep workplaces cool as they campaigned for a new maximum temperature to be set. Employers were advised to take action to protect their staff by doing things such as providing fans and plentiful amounts of cold drinking water, otherwise they may be held accountable for their workers sustaining workplace injuries or illness and face having compensation claims made against them.
There is quite a high risk of overheating when at work and sustaining a work-related injury. if you are forced to work in conditions where you are too warm it is likely that your concentration will be poor, you will become fatigued and even if you don't suffer heat stress or exhaustion your body and mindset will be in a state where personal injuries can be easily sustained.
What is heat stress?
This is a condition which can occur when the body's natural means of controlling its internal temperature begin to flounder. When we become overheated our blood flow increases to the skin's surface and we begin to perspire. Sweat then evaporates from the skin's surface and helps the body to cool. An increased blood flow usually means that the heart is put under a tremendous strain and excessive sweating can lead to dehydration.
Symptoms experienced by those suffering from heat stress include an inability to concentrate, heat rash, thirst and muscle cramps. Fatigue, dizziness, nausea, headaches and moist skin may be signs of heat exhaustion whereas confusion, convulsions, hot dry skin and loss of consciousness could point towards the more severe heat stroke.
There are a number factors that can determine the risk of heat stress including air temperature, humidity, air movement, work rate, work space, work clothing and a worker's age, build and health. Clearly, employees in professions that are characterised by a hot environment or restricted space such as compressed air tunnels, boiler rooms and kitchens are more likely to suffer the effects of heat stress. However, office workers and those in other professions are also at risk of suffering in the heat.
Advice for employees
In order to avoid sustaining heat stress while at work and being faced with the decision of whether to make an accident at work compensation claim you could try doing the following:
- Wear cool, loose clothing
- Avoid working outside at the hottest part of the day
- Consider reducing your work rate
- Drink plenty
- Fan yourself
- Take regular rest breaks
- Choose to sit in shaded, cool areas
Advice for employers
It is a good idea to try and make your staff as comfortable in their jobs as possible. Not only will this make them more productive as a workforce but it should also protect them against sustaining personal injury and illness which will lead to them taking time off work and could even prompt them to employ the help of an expert personal injury solicitor to make a no win no fee claim against you.
- Provide a reasonable working temperature in workrooms, usually at least 16°C or 13°C for strenuous work.
- Regulate workers' length of exposure to hot environments and allow them to take regular rest breaks.
- Make sure cool water is in supply and encourage workers to drink small amounts regularly.
- Control the temperature of work areas using devices such as air conditioning and fans.
- Supply appropriate clothing incorporating personal cooling systems or breathable fabrics or allow employees to dress down.
Provide adequate training to all employees warning them of the risks of heat stress and associated personal injuries and conditions.
Identify employees who are more susceptible to heat stress, monitor their health and supply them with medical advice if needed.
Don't put yourself or your employees at risk this summer, make the working day heat stress free and keep those UK personal injury solicitors at bay.
This article may be published on another website free of charge, on the condition that a link is provided from this article to our website: http://www.the-claim-solicitors.co.uk/personal-injury/personal-injury-solicitor-authorisation-change.htm
