This summer has already shown a few heatwaves for us. Unless they are on their well-deserved vacation, employees struggle with working under extreme temperatures. Therefore, employers must observe that proper work environment is provided.
A special regulation deals with minimum work safety requirements. The regulation includes detailed provisions on temperature, lighting, cleaning among other issues at work places. Let’s see what requirements should employers in the summertime pay attention to.
Temperature of the workplace, whether indoors or outdoors, should be acceptable for human body during the whole worktime considering the type of work and physical conditions. Therefore, the working area should neither be too cold nor too hot; optimal temperatures prescribed by the regulation range from 15 °C to 24 °C, depending on the type of work. Intellectual work and light physical work may not be performed indoors at temperatures above 31 °C at all, while the absolute threshold for heavy physical work indoors is at 27 °C.
Should the temperature rise above 24 °C indoors, employees must have 5-10 minutes of break in every hour. If indoor or outdoor temperatures rise above 24 °C, employees must be provided with protective drinks as per their request but at least in every half an hour. As for the nature of protective drink, primarily it shall be drinking water between 14-16 °C but flavoured non-alcoholic drinks are also acceptable provided they do not contain more than 4% sugar or artificial sweeteners.
The employer should not only provide for proper compensation of loss of liquid but also for drinking cups, at least one for each employee. Preparing, storing, serving of protective drinks must always meet public health requirements.
Providing proper fluids during the winter time is just as important as during the summer. At cold workplaces, employees shall be served with hot tea (prescribed temperature of which is 50 °C).