Employers should have a plan for when the workplace gets too warm
By Jeffrey R. Smith
As we enter the dog days of summer, it might be a good idea for employers to review their plans for hot conditions at work. Or if they don’t have a plan, it might be a good idea to develop one.
Employment standards legislation generally does not have limits for what is considered safe working temperatures, though there are minimum required temperatures for cold conditions. But that doesn’t mean when the mercury rises, employers shouldn’t be prepared for unsafe conditions.
Employers with air-conditioned office-environment workplaces may not think they have to worry about heat waves, but what happens if their air conditioning breaks down? The office can get awfully hot pretty fast on a scorching day. They don’t necessarily have to send employees home, but usually they are required to have some sort of contingency plan in place, such as frequent rest breaks, fans, more access to water or shortened hours. It’s also worth considering how productive employees can be on a hot, humid day when the office is getting uncomfortable.
For non-office workplaces, there are Threshold Limit Values for Heat Stress that many occupational health and safety agencies use as guidelines. The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (http://www.ccohs.ca/) also recommends certain control measures and a range of temperatures depending on the type of work being done that should be followed (http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/phys_agents/heat_control.html).
Should there be a definite maximum temperature for workplaces legislated, as there is a minimum temperature? It could be difficult as there are different factors that can affect conditions. For example, 28 C can feel a lot different if it’s very humid compared to not humid. And different types of workplaces have different expectations, which is allowed for in the threshold limit values and guidelines mentioned above. An employer with employees who work outdoors obviously has no control over the conditions and hot temperatures are to be expected in the summer. All the employer can do is take measures to ensure employees aren’t overwhelmed.
In the end, it’s probably too complicated for specific limits on temperature. The guidelines are there to give employers an idea of what their responsibilities are in hot conditions and the best employers can do is make decisions and have procedures based on those guidelines — and maybe common sense — to keep the balance between productivity and the health and safety of employees during those dog days of summer.
Jeffrey R. Smith is the editor of Canadian Employment Law Today, a publication that looks at workplace law from a business perspective. He can be reached at [email protected]. For more information, visit www.employmentlawtoday.com.
