Red warning heatwave – advice for schools and early years settings
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has increased the heat-health alert for England to level 4 – the highest possible, and the Met Office has issued the first ever red warning for large parts of England for Monday and Tuesday (with an amber warning in place for other areas – please check your area forecast ) The first Red Extreme heat warning issued. – Met Office
The ‘red warning’ level means a “national emergency”. It is “reached when a heatwave is so severe and/or prolonged that its effects extend outside the health and social care system. At this level, illness and death may occur among the fit and healthy, and not just in high-risk groups.” Under the alert system it also states, “substantial changes in working practices and daily routines will be needed.”
What does it mean for schools and early years settings?
As this extreme heat constitutes a serious hazard, all schools and early years settings in affected areas must carry out a thorough risk assessment; and take whatever reasonably practicable measures are indicated to control the risk. The risk assessment must also cover any outdoor activities, and risks associated with travelling to and from school. It must also take into account increased demand on the NHS and ambulance service which risks affecting any response times and attendance in the event of pupils or staff becoming unwell.
Schools and early years settings have the authority and responsibility to take whatever steps they deem necessary to keep pupils and staff safe. This could include partial closure, so that only rooms that are shaded (such as north facing) are used, reduced operating times, or full closure, and we would support schools/early years settings in taking that decision if they believed it to be best decision to keep pupils and staff safe.
In addition any staff who are classed as vulnerable, including pregnant employees, should have an individual risk assessment and additional reasonable adjustments (for example working from home or being at home – on full pay) will be needed. It is important to remember however, that the dangers are not limited to just the most vulnerable; extreme heat risk also applies to ‘healthy’ individuals under the warning that has been declared.
UNISON has produced the following information for members. The Department for Education (DfE) has also issued guidance:
If you have not had any communication from your school or early years setting, please contact them urgently to ask what their plans are for Monday and Tuesday. If you have concerns around their response please immediately contact your local branch
Concerns raised by Catering staff in relation to working in hot kitchens during the amber and red warnings for extreme heat
Your employer (school/catering contractor) has a legal responsibility to review risk assessments (RAs) in response to the heat warnings triggered by a national emergency being declared for Red warning areas on Monday and Tuesday. The RA must include not just the school/kitchen but also the risks involved in your travel to and from the workplace. If the school intends to open, then the employer has to set out the specific additional measures they will take to keep staff and pupils safe in the RA and share it with you in advance.
Kitchen staff obviously operate in a hot environment, not just from the ovens and other cooking equipment (which should all be under extraction hoods to remove steam and heat) but also from dishwashers (which are often not under hoods but do generate high humidity and heat). Add to this the heat from the wearing of aprons/chef coats etc for food safety and hygiene reasons which will also affect the body’s ability cool itself.
The guidance below from the HSE adds more about ventilation requirements included cooling air to balance the overall room temperature:
https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/cais10.pdf
Some schools that are opening will be wisely moving to a cold menu for these days to avoid the need for cooking, which would increase temperatures in the kitchens.
Whilst there is currently no maximum workplace temperature, the law does state:
“During working hours, the temperature in all workplaces inside buildings shall be reasonable”
So employers need to take all reasonable steps to achieve a temperature which is as close as possible to comfortable.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) sum this up in the following way:
If you or your colleagues experience discomfort, your employer should arrange immediately for a way of reducing this discomfort and the temperature, either by cooling, or reducing the time you spend in that area with more breaks in a cool area. There should also be free access to plenty of fresh cool water. If the employer cannot find a way to make you more thermally comfortable then they will need to take further steps. If your employer refuses to take further steps then you have a legal right to withdraw from the unsafe workplace without detriment – however, in this situation you must make urgent contact with your branch and seek advice. No one should be working in unsafe conditions.
More information is available for members here:
Information for members in response to Amber and Red warnings of extreme heat
This includes important information on unsafe temperature levels under the ‘ workplace ventilation and thermal comfort section.
