The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) on Monday issued an advisory to employers about rising global temperatures, which can negatively affect business
In its report titled “Adapting industry to withstand rising temperatures and future heatwaves”, the IMechE said that industries should prepare for a warmer world.
They must ensure buildings and equipment continue to operate efficiently and avoid shutdowns. This will require updating existing infrastructure, revamping design codes and safety policies and a commitment to net zero outcomes, sustainability and resilience.
Explaining that temperatures across regions are increasing at record levels, the IMechE said that employers must urgently develop strategies to protect workers from excessive heat.
Failure to do so will result in a loss of productivity, the IMechE added. Heat stress and dehydration can impair decision making and increase risk taking by employees, the IMechE said in its report.
Companies must also set a minimum and maximum temperature at the workplace. In the UK, for example, the Health and Safety Executive has set minimum workplace temperatures for the indoor workplace but does not have similar upper temperature limits.
Dr Laura Kent, Public Affairs and Policy advisor at the Institution, said, “We acknowledge that it would be difficult for the Health and Safety Executive to set a meaningful upper temperature limit due to variations between industries in both working conditions, required PPE and workload. However, HSE guidance needs to be updated to support sectors and industry in the development of appropriate strategies.
Thermal comfort is very important in a workplace and if it is not achieved morale, productivity, health and safety will all likely deteriorate. People need safe spaces to work and be productive.”
People are more inclined to act dangerously and make poor decisions if they feel too hot. For instance, workers may be enticed to forgo wearing personal protection equipment correctly in hot situations, increasing the danger to their safety.
Through impaired cognitive function, heat may also damage a worker's capacity to focus on a particular activity, raising the risk of mistakes and decreasing productivity. The UK had made little progress in implementing the adaptations required to fully prepare for climate change risks, according to a report from the Climate Change Committee published in March.
According to the paper, one of the biggest problems would be adapting the current building stock to the warmer environment after temperatures in the UK last summer broke a record by exceeding 40 degrees. Ruth Shilston, a Fellow of the Institution who contributed to the report, said that owners and operators of assets need to take the threat posed by climate change seriously and conduct assessments of heat risk for infrastructure.
Dr Tim Fox, former chair of the Institution’s Process Industries Division and lead author of the report, said, “The impacts of a warmer world on industry will be complex and broad, including technical, economic and health related, and the implications of the findings of this report are applicable across the globe.
“Adapting industries to, and preparing them for, a warmer world will be essential for the future successful functioning of societies of all nations.”
