TUC HEALTH & SAFETY UPDATES & HEAT GUIDANCETUC Health & Safety updates & heat guidance
TUC week of action
Next week: 14th – 20th July, the TUC are inviting union health and safety reps to inspect their workplace temperatures during a week of action. The TUC have been providing free thermometers to trade union safety representatives. A total of 65 CWU Health and Safety Reps have received these free TUC thermometers so far. It is currently predicted that the UK could be hit with another heatwave starting as soon as 12th July.
Heatwaves are defined by the Met Office as periods of at least three consecutive days in which a temperature threshold is met or exceeded.
What is a heatwave? – Met Office
Heat periods are defined by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) as at least one day with an amber heat-health alert in at least one region and/or the mean central England temperature being at least 20°C.
The CWU have recently been fully supporting the TUC’s call for a specific legal maximum temperature for indoor work of 30°C, or 27°C for strenuous work, and have been attending meetings with the TUC, HSE and other trade unions to discuss much needed changes to the Workplace Health Safety & Welfare Regulations of 1992 regarding working temperature and HSE risk guidance.
New and updated working temperature risk guidance is urgently needed, especially given that the Health and Safety Executive say 4,500 people are diagnosed with skin cancer every year because of outdoor work. Heat illness is a risk that many workers are not fully aware of.
The CWU guide attached to this LTB explains heat illness in more detail and includes embedded QR codes which directly link to NHS and World Health Organisation hot weather guidance.
While red and amber weather alerts naturally grab attention due to increased media coverage, yellow alerts are still significant. They signal that the weather could have a real impact, especially on those who are more vulnerable and may be at increased risk in extreme heat due to age, or underlying health conditions. Colleagues who are pregnant or colleagues taking certain medications will also be at increased risk. For example, tricyclic antidepressants (e.g. Amitriptyline, Nortriptyline), and SSRIs (e.g. Sertraline, Fluoxetine), can interfere with the body’s thermoregulation, they can reduce a person’s ability to sweat, which is essential for cooling down in hot weather.
Colleagues are reminded that workers are protected under Section 44 of the Employment Rights Act 1996, allowing them to remove themselves from situations where they reasonably believe there is a serious and imminent danger. This protection is limited to specific immediate risks to safety however and not general discomfort. If prevailing circumstances do represent a real risk of “serious and imminent danger” colleagues should aim to seek immediate advice from their local CWU representatives before using rights under Section 44 and speak urgently to your line manager/employer. Protection under Section 44 is an individual choice and not a collective choice, although representations can be made for whole groups of workers where higher UK temperatures and specific hot weather risks are more prevalent.
For pregnant workers specific health and safety requirements relating to new and expectant mothers at work are mainly contained in Regulations 16 to 18 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work (MHSW) Regulations 1999. If any risk cannot be removed employers must take the following actions:
- Action 1– Temporarily adjust her working conditions and/or hours of work; or if that is not possible,
- Action 2– Offer her suitable alternative work (at the same rate of pay) if available, or if that is not feasible,
- Action 3– Suspend her from work on paid leave for as long as necessary, to protect her health and safety, and that of her child.
TUC new resource books
An updated version of the Safety Reps ‘brown book’ which contains the regulations, codes of practice and guidance from the Safety Reps and Safety Committees’ Regulations 1977 is now available to pre-order from the TUC. This new book has been redesigned for easier navigation and comprehension, making it a more practical resource for trade union safety representatives. The new edition incorporates both the Safety Representatives and Safety Committees’ Regulations 1977 and the Health and Safety (Consultation with Employees) Regulations 1996, ensuring comprehensive guidance on worker consultation. Single copies cost £7 and are available from tuceducation@tuc.org.uk.
The brown book provides the legal backing that union safety representatives need to confidently address health and safety issues in the workplace. It is indeed the essential tool for Safety Reps and the updated version is designed to equip every representative with the knowledge and evidence necessary to effectively perform their role.
The TUC hazards book version 7 is now also available to pre order from the TUC, the book is currently in print and will be a popular and valuable book for branches and regions to order, this book is the 5-year updated version and available as a single copy for £25 or with discounts for larger orders above 6 copies: Hazards at Work 7th Edition – Coming Soon!/ Pre order | TUC
Both TUC publications detailed above are seen as valuable resources for CWU Reps and branches.
This LTB is shared on behalf of CWU Central Services.
If you have any questions or need any further information, please contact –
Jamie McGovern, FRSPH MIIAI at jmcgovern@cwu.org.
LTB 142/25 – TUC week of action and Heat illness guide
Attachment: CWU Heat Illness Guide
Attachment: CWU Be Sun Smart
Attachment: Checklist For Safety Reps – Heat Inspections (Word document download)
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CWU Eastern No5 Branch 