For #IWMD24 retail and distribution trade union Usdaw is promoting the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) theme of ‘Climate risks for workers'. Heat is already one of the biggest health and safety concerns for Usdaw members, as exposure can have short and long term health impacts. This issue is only likely to worsen over the coming years, with global warming increasing average temperatures and causing heatwaves.
Health and Safety Reps can struggle to deal with this issue as there is no maximum workplace temperature for workplaces in the law. Usdaw supports a legal maximum temperature for indoor work of 30°C (27°C for those doing strenuous work). Reps can deliver improved working conditions when there is excessive heat when they organise, consult and protect:
Organise using the power of the collective voice of the membership to achieve improved working conditions around high temperatures.
Consult using legal functions to listen to members concerns, take temperature readings in the workplace and consult the employer to introduce measures.
Protect using bargaining strength to make sure that workplace health and safety risk assessments for high temperatures are in place and continue to push the Government for a strengthening of the law, by introducing a maximum workplace temperature.
Paddy Lillis – Usdaw General Secretary says: “International Workers' Memorial Day is when the labour and trade union movement remembers those who have been killed or injured at work and those who have died from occupational diseases. So, on 28 April we ‘remember the dead and fight for the living’ by highlighting our all year-round campaigning for better health and safety.
“Health and safety at work is a right not a privilege. Keeping members safe is one of the key aims of Usdaw. This involves ensuring safe working practices and environments, safety training, ensuring the supply of personal protective equipment, and advising members and reps on all other aspects of safety at work.
“Usdaw has thousands of trained safety reps across the UK who are instrumental in maintaining a safe workplace and who work with management to prevent accidents. Usdaw also has experts in its health and safety section at head office who, along with the union’s network of area organisers, offer important advice and support to reps and members.
“The Health and Safety Executive brings unions and employers together, but funding cuts and Government policies have weakened its effectiveness. That is why Usdaw is calling for a reversal of the HSE cuts. We also want to see more HSE and local authority inspectors to enforce health and safety law and for the inspectors to work with union safety reps when they do workplace inspections.
“Usdaw reps across the country will be bringing Workers Memorial Day into their workplaces, publicising the importance of health and safety and in some areas participating in public ceremonies and events. I wish them well in their commemorations and campaigning.”
Notes for editors:
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is one of the fastest growing unions in the TUC and the UK's fifth biggest trade union with around 360,000 members. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemical industry and other trades www.usdaw.org.uk
Usdaw’s health and safety advice and resources: https://www.usdaw.org.uk/Help-Advice/Health-Safety
For Usdaw press releases visit: http://www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Twitter @UsdawUnion