Let workers feel the heat

The TUC is calling on employers to turn up the heating in offices, shops and factories so that all workplaces reach the legal minimum temperature over the winter months.

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: "This is hardly the season for employers to play at being Scrooge. Every year we get lots of calls from workers who return from the festive break, only to find their building is like an ice-box."

The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 require most workplaces to be kept to at least 16°C during working hours.

Working in an excessively cold working environment is very unpleasant, and can also affect dexterity and mobility. Workers with muscular pain, arthritis and heart conditions may have their health put at risk, the TUC warns.

The American health and safety agency OSHA has issued guidance for employers whose employees work in cold temperatures. It says that employers should:

* recognise the environmental and workplace conditions that lead to potential cold-induced illnesses and injuries;

* train the workforce about cold-induced illnesses and injuries; and

* select proper clothing for cold, wet, and windy conditions.

It also advises workers to take frequent short breaks in warm, dry shelters; to drink warm and sweet drinks (but not if they contain caffeine); and to work during the warmest part of the day.

The OSHA guidance can be downloaded from www.osha.gov/Publications/osha3156.pdf