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Northern breeze in
Europe - USDAW addresses shop workers' concern: Where there's a chill there's a way to keep warm
Britain is braced for a 'big freeze' - and the UK's leading retail trade union Usdaw is bracing itself for a surge in calls from members struggling to keep warm in the workplace. Employers have a duty, under the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, to maintain a 'reasonable temperature' in the workplace. Although it doesn't specify temperatures, the Code of Practice says 16ºC, or 13ºC for strenuous physical work, should be the minimum. The regulations also state that employers must provide thermometers so that staff can determine the temperature where they work. The Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (Usdaw) regularly receives complaints from its 330,000 members that the workplace is either too cold or too hot - and is expecting the number of calls to rise this week as temperatures begin to fall drastically. Usdaw General Secretary Sir Bill Connor said: "We had one case not too long ago of supermarket checkout operators putting plastic bags over their feet to try and stop them from freezing. They were on tills that were kept very close to the doors and whenever the doors opened, a gust of chill wind blasted through. That was totally unacceptable. "Employers have a duty to make sure the workplace temperature is kept at a reasonable level. When circumstances dictate that it isn't possible or practical to keep the temperature at or above 16ºC, the employer must carry out risk assessments. At all times, the health and safety of the workforce should be paramount." General advice offered by Usdaw to employers and employees include: relaxing dress codes to allow workers to wear warmer clothing, providing additional clothing for those working in close proximity to external doors, allowing for frequent breaks away from colder areas and arranging for safe temporary heating systems to be installed. Usdaw has a leaflet, called Checking Out Health and Safety in Shops, which has advice about workers' rights on temperature in the workplace. The leaflet can be downloaded from the union's web site. Members can also get copies from the Stationery Department at Central Office or by contacting Usdaw's helpline 0845 6060640. Usdaw members who have a particular grievance about the temperature of their workplace should seek help from their union rep or local Usdaw office.
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