Managing Heat Risk at Work: What UK Employers Need to Know in 2026

As UK summers become hotter and more unpredictable, heat risk in the workplace is emerging as a critical health and safety issue.

While there is still no legal maximum working temperature in the UK, regulatory expectations are shifting. Employers are increasingly expected to assess, manage, and control heat exposure in the same way as any other workplace hazard.

For organisations across construction, logistics, manufacturing, and facilities management, this is no longer optional, it’s a compliance, wellbeing, and operational risk.

UK Heat Risk: What the Law Says

There is currently no specific UK law setting a maximum workplace temperature.

However, employers have clear duties under:

• Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

• Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992

These require employers to:

• Provide a safe working environment

• Maintain a reasonable workplace temperature

• Carry out suitable and sufficient risk assessments

  In practice, this means heat risk management is already a legal requirement — even without a defined temperature threshold.

Why Heat Risk Management Is Rising Up the Agenda

Climate-driven risk is increasing

The UK is seeing:

• More frequent heatwaves

• Higher peak temperatures

• Longer periods of sustained heat

This increases the likelihood of heat-related illness and workplace incidents.

Regulatory focus is evolving

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is placing greater emphasis on:

• Occupational health

• Long-term exposure risks

• Environmental hazards

Heat is now being treated as a recognised workplace hazard, not just a comfort issue.

The Real Risks of Working in High Temperatures

Failing to manage workplace heat exposure can lead to:

• Heat exhaustion

• Heat stroke (a medical emergency)

• Dehydration

• Fatigue and reduced concentration

• Increased risk of accidents and human error

Who is Most at Risk?

Effective heat risk assessment must consider vulnerable groups, including:

• Outdoor workers (construction, utilities, logistics)

• High-intensity manual roles

• Workers wearing PPE or restrictive clothing

• Individuals who are:

  • Pregnant

  • Older workers

  • Living with underlying health conditions

  • Taking certain medications

A generic approach is unlikely to meet current expectations, risk must be assessed at task and individual level.

Heat Risk Assessments

A compliant and effective workplace heat risk assessment should consider:

Environmental factors

• Air temperature

• Humidity

• Airflow and ventilation

• Radiant heat (sunlight, machinery, surfaces)

Task-related factors

• Physical workload

• Duration and frequency of exposure

• Rest opportunities

Individual factors

• Health and vulnerability

• Level of acclimatisation

• PPE and clothing requirements

Increasingly, organisations are expected to evidence this process, not rely on informal judgement.

Controlling Heat Risk in the Workplace

Employers should apply a structured approach using the hierarchy of control.

Engineering controls

• Improve ventilation and airflow

• Install cooling systems where feasible

• Provide shaded work areas

Administrative controls

• Adjust working hours (e.g. early starts, split shifts)

• Increase rest breaks

• Rotate high-risk tasks

• Implement heatwave response plans

Welfare provisions

• Provide access to cool drinking water

• Create rest and recovery areas

• Monitor worker wellbeing during hot conditions

PPE considerations

• Review and adapt PPE to reduce heat burden where possible

Future of UK Heat Risk Regulation

Looking ahead, organisations should anticipate:

• Updated HSE guidance on heat stress and thermal comfort

• Potential introduction of maximum temperature thresholds (under review)

• Greater integration of heat risk into:

  • Occupational health strategies

  • ESG and climate risk frameworks

Practical Steps for Employers

To stay ahead of regulatory expectations, organisations should:

• Treat heat as a formal workplace hazard

• Include heat in:

  • Risk assessments

  • RAMS

  • Safety management systems

• Introduce:

  • Trigger temperatures for action

  • Supervisor and employee training

  • Monitoring during heatwaves

Final Thought

Workplace heat risk is no longer a secondary concern, it is an emerging compliance priority.

Organisations that take a proactive approach to heat risk management in the UK workplace will be better positioned to:

• Protect their workforce

• Maintain productivity

• Demonstrate regulatory compliance