Usdaw says retailers need to keep their cool
Retail union Usdaw says Britain’s retailers need to keep their employees cool after the first hot spell of the summer left many shopworkers feeling hot under the collar in the blistering heat.
Usdaw has lobbied the Government for a change in the law to introduce a legally enforceable maximum working temperature after scores of union members complained about soaring summer heat.
“Our members are telling us that temperatures on the shopfloor in some stores can be unbearable for workers and shoppers alike,” says Usdaw General Secretary John Hannett. “The fact there is not a legally enforceable upper limit makes it very confusing for responsible employers and allows bad employers to ignore serious health and safety concerns.
“We are particularly concerned about pregnant women and the elderly who are at serious risk from high temperatures and a failure to act early during a heatwave has led to fatalities in parts of Europe over recent years. We want the upper limit set at around 27 degrees centigrade as anything above will lead to a serious risk of heat exhaustion.”
Usdaw is calling on employers to follow a few simple guidelines that will make life more bearable for staff and shoppers before heat exhaustion sets in leading to significant loss of concentration, increased accidents and a slump in productivity.
The simplest legal requirement is that there are enough thermometers in store for staff to know what temperature they’re working in so they can complain to managers well before the mercury climbs above 27 degrees centigrade.
Usdaw members have also worked with management in many stores to improve ventilation, including installing additional extractors in hot kitchen areas and placing extra fans around stores.
The provision of regular cold drinks for staff will significantly reduce the risk of dehydration as workers in hot areas can lose up to two pints of water an hour through sweating. Managers are also encouraged to relax restrictive dress codes like ties that may contribute to excess body heat and offer regular refreshment breaks to staff who might be overheating.
Employers could remove or shield any heat sources in the work place to bring air temperature down including monitoring huge refrigerator units which ironically are a big heat source in stores.
“Employers should watch out for obvious symptoms including irritability, dizziness, headaches, nausea and fainting,” John Hannett says. “We believe that temperatures above 27 degrees centigrade are unreasonably warm leading to heat stroke which is extremely dangerous and if employers work with our members following these simple guidelines then serious illness or even fatalities can be avoided.
“The good news is that the Government has created a national website offering advice on how to protect staff in extremely hot weather after pressure from Usdaw which is a step forward.”
