Builders, bakers and cheeseburger-makers: the UK workers struggling in extreme heat
Workers in jobs without air conditioning, including chefs, builders and bakers, say extreme heat is making their workplaces increasingly unsafe. As London temperatures exceeded 35C, they described improvised measures to cope, while unions renewed calls for a legal maximum working temperature in England.
Kitchen staff are adapting menus and using fans or ice to cool down, but grills and ovens still create severe conditions; bakers similarly face heat from large ovens in poorly ventilated spaces. Spain limits sedentary work to 27C and light physical work to 25C, while Belgium applies lower limits for heavier labour; unions say some employers offer water, breaks and lighter uniforms, but others expect normal working to continue.
- Extreme heat is putting frontline workers at greater risk.
- Unions want legal workplace temperature limits in England.
- Some employers provide safeguards, but protections remain inconsistent.
New here? Start with this
Britain is experiencing more frequent periods of very hot weather, including heatwaves when temperatures remain unusually high for several days. While many offices and public buildings have cooling systems, people working in kitchens, bakeries, building sites and factories may also face heat from ovens, machinery or physical labour.
Employers have duties to protect workers’ health and safety, including providing drinking water and managing risks at work. However, England does not have a single legal maximum temperature at which work must stop, unlike some European countries that set limits based on the type of work being done.
Trade unions represent workers in discussions with employers and government, and have long called for clearer rules on workplace heat. The issue matters because excessive heat can cause dehydration, exhaustion and more serious illness, while also increasing the risk of accidents.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
A legal maximum working temperature could give workers a clear, enforceable safeguard when heat makes concentration, hydration and physical safety harder to maintain. Advocates argue that reliance on individual employers produces uneven protection, particularly for lower-paid staff in kitchens, bakeries and construction, and that predictable thresholds would encourage investment in ventilation, breaks, water and safer scheduling. They see this as a basic occupational-health measure suited to more frequent heatwaves.
The case against
A single statutory temperature cap may be difficult to apply fairly across very different workplaces, roles and levels of physical exertion, especially where ovens, grills or outdoor conditions cannot be readily controlled. Opponents may argue that rigid limits could force small firms to close or reduce shifts during hot weather, with consequences for workers’ pay and business viability, even where practical mitigations make work acceptably safe. They favour risk-based rules that require employers to assess heat, workload, humidity, protective clothing and available controls rather than treating temperature alone as decisive.