Pub caterers reassured after call for maximum working temperature

Related tags Trade union

Caterers have been reassured they will not face increased red tape following a union demand for a legal maximum temperature for staff.Last month the...

Caterers have been reassured they will not face increased red tape following a union demand for a legal maximum temperature for staff.

Last month the Trades Union Congress (TUC) called for a maximum temperature of 30 degrees C for staff. It said kitchen staff were at particular risk from high temperatures and recommended licensees monitor temperatures and use air conditioning or fans to keep it cool.

But publicans have been reminded they already have a duty to make sure temperatures are reasonable for their staff and there will be no need for extra regulation.

The TUC said it was ridiculous that there was a minimum temperature for staff but no equivalent if it was too hot.

It said too much heat in the workplace could lead to dehydration, tiredness, irritability and higher stress levels.

General secretary John Monks said: "It is farcical that we have a legal minimum but no legal maximum for workplace temperatures. While there is no legal maximum working temperature, Britain's workers are not protected from sweatshop conditions."

But the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has reassured licensees that extra legislation is not necessary.

It said employers already have a duty to make sure that the working temperature is "reasonable".

It pointed out that the minimum temperature, which was once a legal requirement, is now actually part of an approved code of practice and not a regulation.

According to the HSE, licensees must make sure their staff are neither too hot nor too cold during working hours and take appropriate measures to provide additional heating or cooling where necessary.

But it said temperatures were a guideline only and were to be enforced only where practical.