Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to review existing workplace temperature guidance; and if she will take legislative steps to set a maximum working temperature to protect employees’ (a) health and (b) safety.

The Government is committed to ensuring workplaces are safe in the modern world and in our Next Steps to Make Work Pay publication, we committed to look at how to modernise health and safety guidance for extreme temperatures. As part of this, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is reviewing the Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) for the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 to ensure it is fit for purpose for a modern workplace.

HSE will be consulting on review of the ACOP and there will be an opportunity to respond in due course.