The UK is facing recordābreaking temperatures exceeding 38Ā°C, prompting government alerts, workplace disruptions, and new safety guidance across multiple sectors. At the same time, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued major updates on workplace health leadership and continued enforcement around construction safety. This weekās blog brings together the most important developments employers need to act on now.
What Employers Must Prioritise This Week
š„ Extreme Heatwave: Immediate Actions for Employers
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and Met Office have issued red weather warnings, with significant risks to health, travel disruption, and workplace operations.
With temperatures soaring, the Department for Education has confirmed that schools should generally remain open, but must take steps to keep children safe.
HSE has issued multiple enforcement actions this week following falls from height, collapsing excavation walls, and unguarded machinery incidents. Falls from height remain the leading cause of workplace fatalities in the UK.
On 24 June, HSE launched the Principles of Workplace Health and Wellbeing Leadership, a new framework aimed at improving physical and mental health standards across major hazard industries.
A clinical waste company was fined Ā£300,150 after an 18āyearāold worker fractured his leg in an unguarded conveyor. HSE found no suitable risk assessment was in place.
This weekās combination of extreme heat, new national health frameworks, and ongoing enforcement actions makes it essential for employers to:
If you have any questions, or wish to have a heat stress risk assessment produced, please contact us.
Guest Blogging
If you feel that you could contribute to this blog then please feel free to send us a proposal of your guest blogging ideas and we can discuss these further info@walkersafety.co.ukĀ . Please note any proposals must be of benefit to my readers from individuals with knowledge of their subject matter.
The UK is experiencing hotter, longer, and more frequent heatwaves ā a trend that is expected to intensify over the coming years. High temperatures donāt just cause discomfort; they create real health and safety risks that employers are legally required to manage.
This blog breaks down:
Heatwaves increase the likelihood of:
These risks affect all sectors, but especially, Construction, Warehousing and logistics, Manufacturing, Agriculture, Hospitality, Transport and Office environments with poor ventilation.
Several UK laws apply to heatwave safety:
Employers must ensure the health, safety, and welfare of employees so far as is reasonably practicable.
Employers must carry out suitable and sufficient risk assessments, including environmental risks such as heat.
Workplaces must have a reasonable temperature. There is no legal maximum temperature, but employers must take action when conditions become unsafe.
PPE must be suitable for the conditions ā including heat.
Employees must receive adequate rest breaks, which may need to be increased during extreme heat.
Employers have a duty to anticipate, assess, and control heatārelated risks. Key responsibilities include:
Review:
Employers should implement:
Provide:
Employees must be informed about:
Conditions can change rapidly. Employers should:
Employees also have duties under UK law.
Workers must comply with heatārelated controls, including:
Employees should report:
Early reporting prevents serious incidents.
Heat can affect machinery. Employees must:
During a heatwave, employers should consider:
Outdoor workers may need:
Clear communication prevents accidents. Employers should:
Workers must know:
Heatwaves are no longer rare events ā they are a foreseeable hazard. That means employers must plan for them just as they would for any other workplace risk.
A proactive approach protects:
Contact us should you wish to find out more or request a risk assessment.
June marks the start of long days, warmer weather, and a noticeable shift in how we work and live. Itās a month where energy rises, outdoor activity increases, and workplaces often see changes in pace and risk. That makes June the perfect moment to refocus on seasonal health and safety ā not as a boxāticking exercise, but as a practical way to keep people well, productive, and confident.
June Health & Safety Blog: Staying Safe as Summer Begins
As temperatures climb, even modest heat can affect concentration, reaction time, and physical comfort. Key reminders for teams:
A proactive approach now prevents heatārelated incidents later in the summer.
June is peak season for UV exposure and seasonal allergies. Even short periods outdoors can accumulate risk.
June often brings planned maintenance, refurbishments, and contractor activity. This increases the need for:
Seasonal maintenance is essential ā but only when everyone on site understands the controls in place.
With school trips, festivals, and holiday traffic, June is a highārisk month for road incidents.
Encouraging staff to plan journeys and avoid peakāheat driving times can significantly reduce risk.
While summer is often seen as uplifting, June can also bring pressure:
Promote wellbeing conversations and remind teams of support channels. A psychologically safe workplace is a safer workplace overall.
June sits halfway through the year ā a natural moment to:
A midāyear reset helps keep safety culture active rather than reactive.
June isnāt just the start of summer ā itās a reminder that health and safety evolve with the seasons. By anticipating the risks that warmer weather brings, organisations can protect their people, maintain productivity, and create a workplace where wellbeing is part of the everyday rhythm.
Contact us for further information.
Every year, World Environment Day, which falls on June 5th 2026, reminds us that protecting the environment is not just the responsibility of governments or large corporations. Businesses of every size have a role to play ā and often, it is the small daily habits that create the biggest long-term impact.
For many organisations, sustainability can feel overwhelming. Net zero targets, recycling legislation, waste audits and environmental reporting can sound complicated and expensive. However, meaningful environmental improvements often begin with simple, practical changes within the workplace.
In 2025, new recycling legislation came into force in England under the Governmentās āSimpler Recyclingā reforms, placing greater responsibility on workplaces to separate recyclable waste correctly. Ā
This means sustainability is no longer simply good practice ā it is increasingly becoming a legal and operational responsibility.
Contact us to find out more.
Work can easily dominate our day if we let it. Emails, deadlines, backātoāback meetings ā they all pull us into long stretches of sitting. But our bodies arenāt designed for stillness. Even small bursts of movement can improve focus, reduce stress, and boost longāterm health.
Thatās why encouraging colleagues to step away from the desk isnāt just a ānice ideaā ā itās a health and safety essential. And your own commitment to staying active is a brilliant example of whatās possible when we prioritise wellbeing.
Sitting for long periods can lead to:
Encouraging colleagues to take short, regular breaks is one of the simplest ways to improve workplace health and safety. Even a fiveāminute walk can reset the mind and protect the body.
These arenāt just ānice extrasā ā theyāre essential for longāterm wellbeing.
Your achievements show that staying active isnāt about finding time ā itās about making time. When we prioritise movement, we protect our physical health, sharpen our minds, and build resilience that carries into every part of life, including work.
Encouraging others to take that first step ā literally ā can transform workplace culture.
Emma’s routine shows what a balanced lifestyle can look like in real life, by making the time.
Your story isnāt about being the fittest person in the room ā itās about showing that movement is a lifestyle, not a chore.
Contact us if you require further information, or would like to participate in any of the things that Emma does.
