Working in hot weather: What does the law say?

Is there a maximum workplace temperature?

There is no maximum workplace temperature established in law in the UK.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has explained that no meaningful upper limit can be imposed because in many indoor workplaces, high temperatures can be caused by the work activity (e.g. bakeries), and not just seasonal variation.

The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 require indoor workplaces to be maintained at a “reasonable” temperature during working hours. The regulations do not specify a maximum temperature.

Similarly, the regulations do not set a minimum temperature. However, the Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) to the regulations stipulates that this should normally be at least 16°C or 13°C if much of the work involves rigorous physical effort.

Despite the absence of a statutory maximum workplace temperature, employers are still under a statutory duty to ensure the health and safety of their employees.

What are employers’ broader duties under health and safety law?

The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (HSWA) is the main piece of legislation covering occupational health and safety in Great Britain. The HSWA places a duty on employers to undertake their work in such a way as to ensure that, so far as is reasonably practicable, employees and others who might be affected by the work are not exposed to risks to their health or safety. Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidance on the HSWA is available.

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (MHSWR) requires employers to carry out a risk assessment. This must identify potential risks and the likelihood that a person might be harmed, and also set out action to eliminate or control the hazard. HSE guidance on the MHSWR is available.

The MHSWR do not set out specific risks, or mitigations, that employers should consider and implement; it is the employer’s responsibility to consider which are relevant to their work activity and premises.

The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 (PPER) place a duty on employers to provide suitable personal protective equipment (PPE) to employees who may be exposed to a risk to their health or safety while at work. HSE guidance on PPE is available.

Wearing PPE in high temperatures can increase the risk of heat stress, which occurs when the body becomes unable to maintain a suitable temperature due to external heat. The UK Health Security Agency and HSE have published joint guidance on the risk of heat stress when wearing PPE.

It is the responsibility of the employer to consider if high temperatures pose a risk to the health and safety of their employees. It is also the employer’s responsibility to decide on what measures to put in place to mitigate health risks.

The HSWA, MHSWR and PPER apply to most work activities and settings. There are a few limited exceptions in some sectors where other health and safety frameworks apply, for example, in the military.

How can employers mitigate high workplace temperatures?

Health and safety legislation does not specify which measures employers should take to mitigate the risks of high temperatures. Several factors will determine which measures are appropriate, including the nature of the work activity and work premises.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published an Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) and guidance for workplace health, safety and welfare which provides practical guidance for employers on adhering to The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992. The ACOP includes advice on assessing temperature risks and practical measures to managing temperature.

Practical solutions to reducing the risk of high temperatures on employees could include:

• The use of air conditioning or cooling equipment.
• Adjusting hours and duties, so physically demanding work takes place during the cooler part of the day.
• Relaxing dress or uniform requirements to permit looser or cooler clothing.
• Providing chilled drinking water and encouraging regular hydration.
• Increasing the frequency and duration of rest breaks.
• Enabling work to be carried out in cooler parts of the work premises.
• Rotating staff between activities where some activities take place at hotter temperatures.
• Enabling employees to work from home, or travel to the workplace during off-peak hours when public transport is less crowded.

ACOPs set out recommended ways of complying with health and safety law, including regulations and duties under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

The HSE has explained that ACOPs hold a legal status. Adhering to the provisions of an ACOP generally demonstrates that an employer has complied with their statutory health and safety duties. If an employer does not adhere to an ACOP’s provisions and is subsequently prosecuted, they must demonstrate compliance with the law through other measures. Otherwise, the court may determine that the employer has failed to meet their statutory duties.

Will the government introduce a maximum workplace temperature? Calls to improve temperature-related protections in the workplace

The Labour Government published its plan, Make Work Pay (PDF), in 2024. Here, the government recognised “regularly unacceptably high” temperatures in some sectors and committed to modernising health and safety guidance relating to extreme temperatures.

The TUC has called for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to review and update its guidance, to deliver on the government’s commitment. The TUC has proposed that employers should be required to take steps to reduce temperatures if they get above 24°C and workers feel uncomfortable. The TUC also proposed that workers should be able to stop work above a maximum temperature of 30°C, or 27°C for those doing strenuous jobs.

The Climate Change Committee (CCC) published its report, A Well-Adapted UK, in May 2026. The committee included a recommendation for the government to set maximum temperature regulations for work, to “address the increasing risks that high temperatures pose to workers’ safety and incentivise the deployment of the necessary cooling”. The CCC did not propose a specific temperature. The government has not published a response to the report.

What has the government said?

In June 2026, the government responded to a parliamentary question asking about the merits of introducing a maximum workplace temperature. The government explained that the HSE would consult on its ACOP for workplace health and safety:

The Government is committed to ensuring workplaces are safe in the modern world and in ‘Next Steps to Make Work Pay’, we committed to look at how to modernise health and safety guidance for extreme temperatures. As part of this, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is reviewing the Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) for the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 to ensure it is fit for purpose for a modern workplace.

HSE will be consulting on review of the ACOP and there will be an opportunity to respond in due course.

A debate on extreme heat in the UK took place in the Lords in June 2025. Baroness O’Grady of Upper Holloway asked if the minister would consider asking colleagues to commission the HSE to review evidence and determine whether a maximum working temperature should be implemented. Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent, responding on behalf of the government, did not commit to this, but referred to the requirement set out under the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 to provide a reasonable indoor temperature in the workplace.

What duties do employers have towards vulnerable employees?

The Equality Act 2010 prohibits discrimination in relation to nine protected characteristics. People with the following protected characteristics may face additional health risks when working in high temperatures:

• Age: Thermoregulation declines with age. Older people are also more likely to have concurrent health issues that could also increase vulnerability to heat.
• Pregnancy: When core body temperature rises, blood flow to the uterus decreases, which in turn reduces the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the foetus.
• Disability: The additional health risks for people with disabilities could be related to physical health conditions, or additional systemic challenges in accessing information, medication, treatment or provisions to mitigate heat.
• Sex: During menopause, some women experience hot flushes and other vasomotor symptoms, which can result in palpitations, anxiety and dizziness. Higher temperatures may exacerbate these symptoms.

Under the Equality Act 2010, employers have a duty to make “reasonable adjustments” for disabled employees, where an aspect of the workplace or work activity puts disabled employees at a disadvantage to non-disabled employees. What constitutes a reasonable adjustment will vary according to the work activity, workplace and nature of the disability. More generally, employers should take account of the needs of employees who may be particularly vulnerable to heat and take proportionate steps to protect their health, safety and wellbeing.

The “reasonable adjustments” provision of the Equality Act 2010 only applies to employees with disabilities. The legal definition of a disability, given in section 6 of the Equality Act 2010, is an impairment that has a “substantial” and “long-term” adverse effect on someone’s “ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities”. However, employers must avoid direct and indirect discrimination in relation to all protected characteristics.

In practice, this means that employers should consider whether high workplace temperature and the provisions introduced to mitigate it, could disadvantage certain groups. Employers should consider measures to mitigate this disadvantage, for example, ensuring that more vulnerable employees have access to cool workspaces, or facilitating flexible working arrangements.

The following Library briefing provide information on equalities law and discrimination in the workplace, and information on what steps people can take to access workplace support:

• House of Commons Library, Key employment rights
• House of Commons Library, Disability discrimination
• House of Commons Library, A short introduction to equality law and policy

Further information

The following links provide information and guidance on managing health during periods of high temperature, and support for those affected by high temperature in the workplace:

• NHS, Heatwave: how to cope in hot weather
• Acas, Extreme temperatures in the workplace
• UK Health Security Agency, How to keep cool and stay well during hot weather
• Health and Safety Executive, Temperature in the workplace
• Health and Safety Executive, Thermal comfort
• World Health Organization, Heat and health