Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, has backed calls for a maximum workplace temperature as pressure mounts on the government to safeguard workers from the effects of repeated heatwaves across the UK. The extreme heat has left many struggling to cope, with temperatures in some workplaces exceeding 40C, leading to thousands of school closures and disruptions to hospital and transport systems.
Heatwave impact and fatalities
The June heatwave alone caused an estimated 440 deaths per day in the UK during its three-day peak. Despite rising summer temperatures driven by the fossil fuel-driven climate crisis, the UK has health and safety guidance only for minimum workplace temperatures, with no regulations for maximums.
Trade unions and campaigners have repeatedly called for a maximum indoor work temperature. Unison and the Trades Union Congress have demanded a limit of 30C, or 27C for strenuous work. In May, the Climate Change Committee, which advises the government, recommended setting maximum work temperature regulations to address the increasing risks to workers' safety and incentivise the deployment of necessary cooling.
Political pressure and Khan's stance
Pressure on the government intensified when Green party MP Hannah Spencer announced plans to introduce a bill in parliament to establish a workplace heat limit. A spokesperson for Khan, one of Labour's most senior elected officials, stated that he supports the idea as extreme heat becomes a growing reality for Londoners. The capital has been one of the worst-affected areas during this summer's heatwaves.
Khan has launched an initiative to help the city adapt to increasingly frequent and severe heatwaves. His spokesperson noted that while he lacks the power to introduce enforceable maximum temperature rules, he backs the concept. Last week, the Guardian reported on the impact of repeated heatwaves on schools, with teachers describing desperate measures to keep children safe, such as covering younger pupils in wet paper towels and providing trays of water for older students to cool their feet.
Health and social justice concerns
Doctors have highlighted the disastrous impact of extreme heat on the NHS in England, with radiotherapy machines and MRI scanners failing, critical IT systems stalling, and cooling units breaking down. Green party mayor of Hackney, Zoë Garbett, emphasised that supporting workers and families hit by extreme heat is a matter of social justice and climate adaptation.
“The climate crisis does not affect everyone equally, and the recent heatwaves have made that crystal clear,” Garbett said. She noted that headteachers in Hackney often face a no-win decision: stay open, exposing staff and pupils to dangerous heat levels, or close, knowing many children lack better alternatives at home. “Urgent investment from the government in more resilient schools and public buildings isn’t just an issue of the climate crisis, it’s a matter of basic social justice,” she added. “Councils are ready to tackle the crisis and take on a statutory duty to lead the response, but we need the powers and – more importantly – proper funding to take action.”
Government response
A government spokesperson said it has “no plans to introduce a mandatory maximum workplace temperature,” adding that the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has shared guidance for employers to plan for and support those working in extreme heat. However, they confirmed that the HSE will launch a public consultation on health and safety in the workplace this year, which will examine temperature thresholds alongside other issues.
