Green MP Hannah Spencer, who has recently won a by-election, is preparing to introduce a bill that would establish limits on maximum temperatures in UK workplaces. The proposal comes as heatwaves become more frequent and cause disruptive and unsafe working conditions, according to Spencer. Under the planned legislation, an independent body would be tasked with recommending maximum safe workplace temperatures. The bill would also outline how employers and regulators should apply those recommendations in practice.
The reported aim is to provide workers with protections during periods of extreme heat by setting a clear framework for identifying and managing unsafe temperatures at work. While details of the bill’s mechanisms and enforcement are described as part of how recommendations would be implemented, the reporting indicates the central features are independent temperature guidance and a requirement to translate that guidance into workplace measures. If Parliament passes the bill, the UK would move toward having formal maximum temperature standards based on expert recommendations.
