this post was submitted on 12 Dec 2023
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A maximum indoor temperature working law giving people a day off if workplace temperatures surpass 30C should be mandated by government, a new report recommends.

The report by the Fabian Society thinktank highlights inequalities in who bears the brunt of the impacts of climate breakdown and puts responsibility on bosses and landlords to stop people from overheating.

An increasing number of people are dying from excessive heat in the UK. More than 4,500 people died in England in 2022 due to high temperatures, which was the largest figure on record. Between 1988 and 2022, almost 52,000 deaths associated with the hottest days were recorded in England, with a third of them occurring since 2016, data from the Office for National Statistics shows. During the same 35-year period analysed, more than 2,000 people died in Wales due to the warm temperatures.

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[–] Fake4000 21 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I just want to work from home really.

[–] cuntonabike 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

What if you’re home is over 30C

[–] Fake4000 2 points 11 months ago

Just wear shorts and light clothing I guess.

I would do 30c at home rather than commuting.

[–] AnUnusualRelic 11 points 11 months ago (1 children)

But how are Americans going to know when it's 30 degrees Celsius?

[–] [email protected] 8 points 11 months ago

We could get nuked and they still make us go in.

[–] Zeth0s 11 points 11 months ago (1 children)

And British used to joke about Spanish siesta... Now they want to close everything at Spanish spring's temperature

[–] [email protected] 9 points 11 months ago

Spain has air conditioning systems.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Oh yeah we need this rule in Australia. I'd be going home right now!

[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago

Ah mate! It's 40 degrees tomorrow with severe fire warnings, fucken oath we should have the day off. Might as well give us off until after Chrissy as it's gonna be a scorcher.

[–] Maalus 7 points 11 months ago (4 children)

What about forges and other industrial places where it gets hot as balls?

[–] [email protected] 11 points 11 months ago

Most jobs don't require working with dangerous chemicals, but some do. Some jobs will be the exception, but should also be the ones that have specific safety training and equipment for those conditions which won't be in place for office or other similar jobs.

People working at a forge should have training on recognizing symptoms of overheating and adequate cooling and hydration practices (even if a lot of them don't) as forges can't be cooled in a feasible way. Office workers or people in jobs where it is not expected to be hot are far more likely to accidentally overheat.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Maybe they could retrofit air conditioning for worker safety?

[–] bassomitron 5 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (2 children)

I work on an installation where there's a forge. I took a tour of it when I first started working and there's no way in hell you can effectively air condition that place without being extremely wasteful. Maybe I'm wrong and other forges have figured it out, but I'd love to see proof of it.

[–] Maalus 3 points 11 months ago

Nah, no way to do it with molten metal being right there. It's a part of the job, and a reason why a lot of countries don't have a "maximum temperature" law, but have a "minimum temperature" one.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago

That sounds like an edge case that may need more creative solutions, or implementing breaks, etc. But I'd wager that for most workplaces this isn't the case.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago

You can get air fed suits for toxic environments. I have seen these used in car manufacturing. From accounts of the lads there, they were very heavy to work with.

[–] [email protected] -3 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Right? Every restaurant in the country would be closed immediately and indefinitely.

Not that that's a terrible thing or anything

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago

And from my experience- every local council service.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 11 months ago (4 children)

86 F for Americans.

Seems warm for manual labor, seems fine for typing.

[–] cynar 20 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Many of our buildings are built to deal with cold winters, rather than hot summers. 30 is fine in a properly designed office. Add in stale stuffy air, and rising humidity and it quickly becomes extremely unpleasant.

I've worked full tilt, outside in 42°C temperatures, without issues. 32 in UK buildings and weather can leave me effectively useless.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago

The way to build for cold winters is effectively the same as for hot summers, thick insulation and ventilation. There's a few differences but the fundamentals are the same. UK houses are just shite all round, built for cheap construction costs and maximum developer profit.

[–] OneOrTheOtherDontAskMe 16 points 11 months ago (1 children)

'Fine' if they're fine with me wearing a tanktop and track shorts. I can be motionless and sweat at 85+ F

[–] [email protected] 6 points 11 months ago

Indeed. A shirt and trousers is absolutely lovely attire for sitting in a room that's 30°C. No thanks.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Ehh, my ac unit wasn't working properly this summer. I'm in the southern US. It would get up to 85° F in the house and I'd be pretty sweaty by the end of the day.

Sure, it was fine, but it wasn't comfortable by any means.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago

I'm guessing the humidity was way lower wherever you were comfortable at 30°C, it's fine at the beach but in Britain it makes your brain start to melt!

[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 months ago

Hmm, the issue here is that the office temperature is lower than the temperature if I'm working from home, so all it would mean is I'd be forced to go into the office on my WfH days! At least I'd be cool until I go home again I guess...

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago

This is the best summary I could come up with:


The report by the Fabian Society thinktank highlights inequalities in who bears the brunt of the impacts of climate breakdown and puts responsibility on bosses and landlords to stop people from overheating.

Drawing on advice from experts from a range of organisations including the National Infrastructure Commission, the London School of Economics and the University of Oxford, the Fabians have drawn up a plan to prevent illness and death from the increasing extreme heat predicted to happen in the UK due to climate breakdown.

It found that “low-paid workers often lack sufficient access to water, can not escape the heat, and have to wear uniforms or personal protective equipment (PPE) designed for cooler temperatures.” Hospitality and manual workers are most likely to face excessive heat, but also employees in education establishments and offices can suffer if they are working on higher floors or in areas with big windows and poor ventilation.

The report also calls for tougher climate resilience requirements on infrastructure providers, and a ban on the burning on upland peatlands as well as investment in the maintenance of flood defences currently in poor condition.

It says: “The Conservative government’s most recent National Adaptation Programme lacks substantive new plans or investment to prepare for future climate impacts.

The report also warns that the electricity system, transport infrastructure and schools and hospitals could all be at risk of shutdown due to overheating.


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