- High temperatures could start to hit the health of vulnerable people – with potentially deadly consequences
- Health workers and social services on alert after level two warning issued by authorities.
- Level three warning may be issued tomorrow, ordering carers and medical staff to take urgent action
- An elderly woman spent all yesterday in the glare of the sun after she was trapped in a collapsed deckchair
- Hedgehogs have also suffered in the heat, as hedgehog hospital see spike in admissions
- Meanwhile, sun worshippers from all over the UK enjoyed the bright sunshine in parks and on beaches
By
Sam Webb
06:38 EST, 16 July 2013
|
15:52 EST, 16 July 2013
A group of Labour MPs say employees should be sent home if the temperature hits 30C or more in order to avoid accidents and fatalities at work.
The proposal, laid out in an Early Day Motion, points out that while minimum legal temperatures for indoor workplaces exist, there are no regulations on maximum temperatures.
Linda Riordan, Labour MP for Halifax, argues that many employees are ‘subjected to high temperatures which can impact seriously on their health and well-being’.
Scroll down for video
Spray: Children play in the fountain ‘Appearing Rooms’ by Danish artist Jeppe Hein, on the Southbank in central London
Relaxing: Visitors to London’s Hyde Park sit in deckchairs but a Heatwave Warning is set to be issued by the Met Office
Living up to their name: Beachgoers lean up against the Hot Walls in Old Portsmouth, Hampshire
Flat out: A man relaxes in the hot weather in Victoria Tower Gardens in central London
‘Consequent reduction in cognitive
function, attention span and visual motor tracking can contribute to
workplace accidents and fatalities,’ she said
Supportive of a campaign by the
Trades Union Congress for a maximum workplace temperature, the motion is
backed by six Labour MPs.
The Health and Safety Executive says
‘a meaningful figure cannot be given at the upper end of the temperature
scale’ due to a range of factors including humidity and air velocity.
Earlier today medical workers and
carers were put on on alert because of rising fears over the health of
the nation in sweltering conditons as the Met Office today said a ‘level
three heatwave’ looms.
The nation has already been issued
with a level two warning, where staff are told to be vigilant as the
heatwave could start to affect vulnerable people’s health, but the
weather authority confirmed that a level three warning was ‘extremely
likely’ tomorrow.
Party: Youngsters laugh as they sunbathe in Old Portsmouth, Hampshire, earlier today
Cooling off: A man and woman look down at a waterfall in Hyde Park, left, while Summer Passmore, two, from Clerkenwell, London, cools off in the pavement fountains at the Royal Academy court yard in central London
Laughter flows: Luella Facer (left) and her friend Summer Passmore, both two and from Clerkenwell, London, laugh as they are caught in the water spray
Heatwave: Members of the Serpentine Swimmers Club enjoy the scorching weather early this morning, but the blazing sun presents a serious risk to health, said health authorities
The nation is already on a level two warning, where staff are told to be vigilant as the heatwave could start to affect vulnerable people’s health.
The
warning system is overseen by Public Health England, a Department of
Health agency, in a bid to reduce the health impact of the current run
of stifling temperatures continue across the UK.
A level two warning is triggered as soon as the Met Office forecasts that there is a 60 per cent chance of temperatures being high enough on at least two consecutive days to have significant effects on health.
This will normally occur two to three days before the event is expected. Death rates rise soon after temperatures soar, with many deaths occurring in the first two days.
Level three is triggered as soon as the Met Office confirms that threshold temperatures have been reached in any one region or more. These vary from region to region, but the average threshold temperature is 30ºC during the day and 15ºC overnight. At this stage specific action is targeted at high-risk groups to reduce casualties.
In Cambridge a couple were found dead on the banks of the River Cam today just a short distance from families enjoying the heat wave.
Police sealed off the site with blue and white tape after being alerted together with paramedics around midday. They covered one of the bodies with an orange blanket and the other with a white one.
Two pairs of discarded shoes and empty alcohol bottles lay strewn on the grass beside them. The man and woman were declared dead at the scene and a second man was taken to the city’s Addenbrooke’s Hospital for precautionary treatment.
‘Unbelievably stupid’: Two fathers were condemned yesterday for pushing children in buggies across a dangerous waterfall – instead of using a bridge right above them.
The foolish fathers risked the toddlers lives as they wheeled the pushchairs across the slippery waterfall on the River Taff in Cardiff
A Met Office graphic showing what temperatures will feel like tomorrow. Summer Passmore (right), 2 , squeals in delight as a fountain drenches her
It is believed all three had been
drinking as part of a group on the riverside since the previous evening.
Police said early indications were the deaths were drug-related but
officers refused to rule out the searing 29C heat as a contributory
factor.
Detective Inspector Billy Bremner
said: ‘We are aware that two people have died and a third was taken ill
at about the same time. We are in the early stages of investigating
these tragic deaths and are keeping an open mind as to the cause.
‘At this stage we can say that the
three people involved are believed to have taken drugs in Cambridge
shortly before becoming ill. We would urge anyone who has any
information about the supply of drugs in the city to call police.’
The dangers of extreme heat cannot be underestimated. A summer heatwave in 2003 caused 15,000 ‘excess deaths’ in France, so many that morgues ran out of space. That same summer Britain recorded 2,000 excess deaths following a 10?day heatwave.
A stark reminder of the risk the heat poses occured on Saturday, when two Territorial Army soldiers died during a gruelling selection process for the TA’s elite SAS section on the rugged Brecon Beacons.
Under a level three warning carers are urged to check on vulnerable people and health staff are told to help and advise clients including access to cool rooms, close monitoring of vulnerable individuals, reducing room temperatures with shading, turning off unnecessary lights and equipment and ensuring discharge planning takes the extreme temperatures into account.
Heat seekers: As temperatures in London soared, many headed to Richmond Upon Thames, such as this woman enjoying a quiet read
Ellie Sole (in pink), 19 and Sophia Good, 21, frolic in the sea on Southsea Beach in Hampshire
The two friends take a dive into the sea in an effort to cool off as temperatures across the UK show no signs of dropping
Sun-kissed: Sunbathers in Green Park, City of Westminster in central London
Improvised shelter: A woman covers her head with an item of clothing to protect herself from the sun’s rays
Idyllic: A man in Kensington Gardens, central London, enjoys a coffee and his book in the shade
Floating away: Swimmers cool down in the Serpentine Lido in Hyde Park
Capital fun: Londoners flocked to open-air pools, lidos, ‘wild swimming’ spots and paddling pools in a bid to escape the ferocious heat
The Serpentine Swimmers Club members take a break from swimming in central London today
A level three warning is expected to be issued tomorrow, urging medical and social services staff to take extra precautions to protect the health of their charges
Brisk: A man enters the Serpentine in Hyde Park. Britons have flocked to pools, lakes and beaches across the nation to escape the oppressive heat
White heat: A woman basks in the 30C heat in Kensington Gardens, central London
The Hanging Gardens of Derby: Fred Whaley, 69, is on extra watering duties to keep more than one thousand plants in full bloom at his home in the heatwave
Chillaxing: Ulu the Lar Gibbon enjoys in the sun at Drusillas Park, an East Sussex zoo
Ra-cool: A racoon enjoys a giant ice lolly thanks to zoo staff at Drusillas Park
Sun-worshipper: Lemurs (left) relaxing in the heat at the East Sussex zoo today. Georgina the baby hippopotamus with her mother Flora at Whipsnade Zoo (right)
Spa treatment: Georgina the baby hippopotamus cools off with a dip at Whipsnade Zoo
Beached: Four grey seals bask in the hot weather on a sand bank at Southend-on-Sea in Essex
Any shade will do: Beulagh speckled faced ewes seek any refuge that they can find from the sun in the Cambrian Mountains, Powys
A level four warning is classified as a major incident where the stifling temperatures continue for so long it could even affect infrastructure, such as transport and power.
Last Saturday saw the hottest day of the year so far with a peak of 31.9C (89.4F) in Southampton, making it the hottest July day since 2006.
The rest of the week is expected to vary from 25C (77F) to 31C (87.8F) with the exception of Wednesday, which could beat the record for the hottest day of the year if temperatures reach 32C (89.6F).Â
Nancy Grace’s Zimmerman ‘churros’ jibe
Big dog VERY unsure about tiny kitten
WARNING GRAPHIC: Three gored in Pamplona’s Running of the…
Korean woman is filmed being abused in nightclub by…
Women carrying children brawl in Chuck E Cheese
News station tricked into reading out fake names
Perp-walk: Feared Zetas drug lord faces the cameras
North Korean missiles seized in Panama
Viral video of terrifying photo booth prank
‘It was surreal’: Dave Matthew hitches a ride with stunned…
VIDEO: One second every day of newborn’s first year
Mexico captures infamous Zetas druglord Z-40
-
Watch as Nancy Grace complains that George Zimmerman, an… -
Trayvoning, the latest disturbing social media trend… -
From his $1.3m mansion to a 7ft by 10ft cell: The miserable… -
Owner of World Trade Center is trying to sue airlines for… -
Panama’s president tweets pictures of missiles found hidden… -
Boy aged SIX ‘upset at parents’ divorce’ hanged himself… -
Captured with $2million in cash, the drugs baron who stewed… -
Texas town changing nudity laws to make body paint… -
Wimbledon women’s semi-finalist Agnieszka Radwanska is… -
Eric Holder says he wants an end to Stand Your Ground laws… -
Chris Hansen’s bitter ex-mistress hits out at double… -
The bloody day Harry was witness to an horrific war crime:…
The comments below have not been moderated.
-
Newest -
Oldest -
Best rated -
Worst rated
Send workers home at 30 degrees Celsius? Pathetic! That’s 86 degrees Fahrenheit, in NY that’s considered a more comfortable summer day, last year we reached 100 degrees a few days and for most of July/August I remember it being in the nineties, around 35 degrees Celsius for many days. In the heat NY carries on, the city opens cooling centers for the elderly or anyone who can’t afford or access AC, we all drink water as we walk in the heat and keep little ones and elderly out of the heat… well that’s if we get into the nineties, if it’s 30 degrees Celsius/86 degrees Fahrenheit the little ones are all under the water sprays at the parks or by the fire hydrant.
MM
,
Cotton Bay Village, Saint Lucia,
17/7/2013 02:54
Report abuse
To be fair, 30C with humidity feels far hotter than the number, at least 10C more. In Oz it is very dry heat, so it is far more bearable and 30C is just pleasant. But even in humid NZ, that would feel so hot people would not be out in it for long, I have lived in both countries and know the difference very well. So my fellow Aussies need to cut you some slack with their comments about your endurance. 30C in England is very hot and it doesn’t cool down at night like it does in Australia. Your water bothers me though. It looks filthy in every picture. I wouldn’t swim in that.
ME
,
Canberra, Australia,
17/7/2013 02:52
Report abuse
Why is it that whenever the weather is hot, DM shows a picture of the River Cam? Every single article features this I swear.
Also those two girls 19 and 21 are gorgeous.
Jack180
,
Newcastle,
17/7/2013 02:41
Report abuse
But you are in ENGLAND now and mid 80?s in England IS a heatwave!, your not in Australia so why are you comparing the English summer weather to the Australian weather?, most of your Country is barren wasteland and is totally inhabitable thanks to the weather, as you have nothing but disdain for England (and it’s weather) despite it accommodating and employing you, why not get back to your scorched wasteland at the nearest opportunity.
– John Bailey, England, United Kingdom, 16/07/13 6:56 PM
Wasteland? you’re wrong about that, John. There is an abundance of life in the desert. Why don’t you come check it out? 😃
jack
,
somewhere near,
17/7/2013 02:40
Report abuse
I agree that the vast majority of healthy people simply need to use a little bit of common sense. However for people with respiratory issues the hot weather can be dangerous and making it clear to employers that someone with asthma or COPD is more vulnerable and may need to go home not because they want to lie in the back garden but because they are genuinely at risk because of the heat is not a bad thing. Of course if they are fortunate enough to work in an air conditioned environment they are probably better off at work!
Hellen Baker
,
England, United Kingdom,
17/7/2013 02:37
Report abuse
Today, in Las Vegas, it was 42c (109f), and we had 300,000 visitors.
vanpray
,
Henderson, United States,
17/7/2013 02:33
Report abuse
Level 3 warning?? For 2 weeks of summer???? All I see in those pictures are smiling faces!
Im working in Suzhou China at the moment, temperature doesnt go below 30 on a night, last week they said it hit 40 through the day, dont see any of them complaining!
Jamesh1000000
,
Bradford, United Kingdom,
17/7/2013 02:33
Report abuse
There’s such a thing as a hedgehog hospital……?
Elle
,
Dublin, Ireland,
17/7/2013 02:32
Report abuse
What a laugh – 30 degrees is nothing!!!!
JJ
,
Adelaide, Australia,
17/7/2013 02:32
Report abuse
Don’t judge the opinions of a few MPs as the opinion of the country – just cos a few guys in suits think 30C is too hot to work at all doesn’t mean you can judge the whole of Britain like that!
Also wooow, I really didn’t realise there were so many international readers on the DM.
A lady
,
A galaxy far far away,
17/7/2013 02:32
Report abuse
The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.