Ireland enjoyed some gorgeous sunshine over the past couple of weeks as the first heatwave of the year took over.
On Tuesday, thermometers hit 29.9C in Dundalk which was the earliest 29C on record for Ireland. The warm temperatures are expected to stick around for the foreseeable future but sunny skies will be replaced by thunderstorms and rain over the coming days.
Beaches and parks have been jam-packed during the recent good weather, and you might be wondering what your rights are when it comes to taking a day off during the 'mini-heatwave'. The rules can differ depending on whether you are working in an office or from home.
For those working in an office, there is no maximum temperature in a workplace but there is a minimum. The Safety Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 states that workplaces must be at least 17.5C but this changes to 16C if rigorous physical work is undertaken.
Read more: Dublin weather: Met Eireann forecasts thunderstorms and spot flooding as dry spell ends
Read more: QUIZ: Test your knowledge of renowned Dublin author James Joyce ahead of Bloomsday
Despite not having a maximum temperature, the act states that employers must ensure the safety of staff. It states that employers must "take reasonable care to protect his or her safety, health and welfare and the safety, health and welfare of any other person who may be affected by the employee’s acts or omissions at work".
The Irish Business and Employers' Confederation say that once employers make an effort to bring the heat down you won't get a day off.
They state: "Where an employer is obviously sympathetic and tries to alleviate the worst effects of hot weather most employees should bear with temporary discomfort and continue working normally.
“Unless conditions are extreme, measures such as those outlined above should prevent any employees justifiably claiming that the company is in breach of its duty under the 2005 Safety Health and Welfare at Work Act.
“Any refusal by the employees to work would then place them in breach of their contracts of employment, which could lead to loss of pay/disciplinary action.”
Employers are also expected to keep the temperatures down inside if they start shooting up. They also can relax dress codes and offer water breaks to ensure the safety of workers.
However, things also get a little muddied for the thousands of workers told to do their jobs from home, where most don't have air conditioning.
Mike Hibbs, employment partner at law firm Shakespeare Martineau, told Mirror Money: “The fact that many employees are still working from home does not mean that employers can suddenly forget their health and safety responsibilities.
"All the usual rules apply, including the need to risk assess homes as suitable working environments.
“In the workplace, employers usually rely on air conditioning and ventilation to regulate temperatures. However, at home many employees may not have this option and their only means of keeping cool will be to open windows."
Open windows can create more problems than it solves depending on your work.
Mr Hibbs said: "The potential for disturbance by noisy neighbours and street noise can make this impractical, especially if their work involves making telephone or video calls."
He concluded that if you can’t get somewhere cool to work from then your boss may not be able to keep you there.
The HSE says that heat stress, heat exhaustion and heatstroke are potentially serious health risks for people during a heatwave.
It has issued the following public health advice for hot weather in Ireland.
Keep cool
Keep your indoor environment cool:
- Minimise unnecessary heating - turn off central heating, electrical equipment and lights that are not needed
- Keep out the heat - increase shade or cover windows exposed to direct sunlight
- Use natural ventilation such as open windows when the air feels cooler outside than inside (e.g at night) and where it is safe and secure to do so
- Increase air flow through buildings wherever possible
- If you are using air conditioning, make sure it is using a fresh air supply, which is important to prevent spread of Covid-19
- Electric fans need to be used with caution, as they may not be safe for higher temperatures and should not be used where a person may be incubating or a case of Covid-19
- Evaporative cooling – dampening your skin may help keep you cool
Stay hydrated
- Make sure you have enough water to drink. It is important to stay hydrated
- You might like to leave to drinks in the fridge
- An adult needs approximately 2 litres of liquid over 24 hours. This may be less for smaller people or those with medical conditions
Reduce the risk of dehydration
- Drink more fluids when you feel any dehydration symptoms. The best fluids to drink are water or oral rehydration sachets – chat to your pharmacist about how to use these safely.
- Drink enough during the day so your pee is a pale clear colour.
Carers - making sure someone drinks enough
The person you are caring for may not have a sense of how much they're drinking.
To help them:
- make sure they drink during mealtimes
- make drinking a social thing, like "having a cup of tea"
- offer them food with a high water content – for example, ice cream or jellies, or fruits like melon
When to get medical help
Contact your GP or the Emergency Department if you are unwell and especially if you
- are confused and disorientated
- feel very dizzy
- have not peed all day
- feel like your heart is beating fast
- have fits (seizures)
- are caring for someone who is drowsy or difficult to wake
Read next:
Join our new WhatsApp community! Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Sign up to the Dublin Live Newsletter to get all the latest Dublin news straight to your inbox.
