The TUC today (Monday) called on employers to make sure that the heating in their offices, shops and factories is turned back on early enough to ensure that their workplaces reach the minimum legal temperature before staff start back after the Christmas and New Year shut down.

Last year many employers who shut up shop for the five days over the Christmas break only put on the heating the morning that their workforce returned to work. This meant that many workers came back to freezing offices, factories and warehouses.

That’s why the TUC is calling on bosses to act today before tomorrow’s big return to work to make sure that the same thing does not happen again, when many buildings will have been closed since Christmas Eve.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: 'This is hardly the season for employers to play at being Scrooge. Every year we get lots of calls from workers who return from the festive break only to find their building is like an ice-box. Returning to a bitterly cold workplace having spent perhaps the past ten days relaxing with family and friends is no joke. But ensuring staff return to warm, comfortable workplaces is simple enough to organise, all employers need to do is to arrange for someone to come in a day early and turn the heating back on.'

The law requires most workplaces to be kept to at least 16oC during working hours, but the TUC is concerned that because many workplaces have been without heating for such a long time, it could take up to a day for buildings to get back to their normal temperatures.

Not only is working in arctic conditions very unpleasant, but excessively cold working environments can also affect dexterity and mobility. Employees with muscular pain, arthritis and heart conditions may have their health put at risk, says the TUC.

There is also an added danger. In an attempt to keep the cold at bay, staff may end up bringing out old electric heaters to warm themselves up. These appliances will almost certainly not have been properly tested and are often plugged into extension leads. This can be very hazardous and can lead to a danger of electrical fires.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

For more information about work and the Christmas and New Year visit www.worksmart.org.uk/xmas

- All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk

- Register for the TUC's press extranet: a service exclusive to journalists wanting to access

pre-embargo releases and reports from the TUC. Visit www.tuc.org.uk/pressextranet

- A series of TUC rights leaflets are available on our website and from the know your rights line 0870 600 4 882. Lines are open every day from 9am-9pm. Calls are charged at the national rate.

The TUC press office will be closed from Christmas Eve to Monday 3 January 2005. We’ll all be back in the office on Tuesday 4 January 2005. Over the holiday, the press officers on duty are:

-Christmas Eve to Monday 27 December, Nigel Stanley 07699 755102

-Tuesday 28 December to Thursday 3O December, Dan Ashley 07880 504846

-Friday 31 December to Monday 3 January, Liz Chinchen 07778 158175.

Contacts:

Media enquiries : Ben Hurley T: 020 7467 1248; Pager: 07699 713182 ; E: bhurley@tuc.org.uk
Liz Chinchen T: 020 7467 1248; M: 07778 158175; E: media@tuc.org.uk

Skills for Life and media enquiries : Dan Ashley T: 020 7467 1372; M: 07880 504 846;
E: dashley@tuc.org.uk

Press release (700 words) issued 3 Jan 2005

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