Summer I NISG Safety Snap Shot 2026
With the current warm weather and the summer holiday season almost upon us NISG would like to signpost you to some information that you may wish to use in your businesses or share with your employees and supply chains to help keep everyone safe while at work or play:
- Working safely in hot weather – Northern Ireland is once again experiencing high temperatures in many areas. This is a timely reminder for employers to review the measures they have in place to protect workers during periods of hot weather.
Whilst there is no legal standard set for a maximum working temperature, especially when it feels too hot to work indoors in offices and similar work environments, there is a legal requirement to ensure that the temperature is reasonable i.e. by keeping the indoor working temperature at a comfortable level, sometimes known as thermal comfort and providing clean and fresh air.
The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1993 detail the requirements for the temperature in indoor workplaces. The Regulations state that during working hours the temperature in all workplaces inside buildings shall be reasonable. There is no legal minimum outdoor working temperature so employers will have to rely on thermal risk assessments to maintain a reasonable level of thermal comfort and rely on controls as provided by job rotation, more regular breaks etc.
For more detailed information, please view the information at the following links:
- Temperature in the workplace - HSE GB website
- Keep your top on - Health Risks from Working in the sun - HSE GB
- Sun, UV and Cancer - (Cancer Research UK website)
- How to cope in hot weather - (NHS website)
- Skin Cancer Prevention - Employers and outdoor workers are urged to reduce skin cancer risk by prioritising sun safety for all. Working in partnership with the Public Health Agency, Cancer Focus NI works to reduce skin cancer resulting deaths in Northern Ireland. You can find out more at the link below:
Sun, UV and Cancer - In the UK, up to 9 in 10 cases of melanoma skin cancer could be prevented by staying safe in the sun and avoiding sunbeds. Learn how the sun and UV cause cancer and how to enjoy the sun safely at the Cancer Research UK’s website:
- RNLI Summer Safety Advice - Learn how to keep safe at the coast and in the water with advice from the RNLI’s water safety experts. Their full details can be found at: https://rnli.org/safety
Links to specific safety topics can be found below:
- Float to live information: https://rnli.org/safety/float
- Choose your activity information for activities in and beside the water: https://rnli.org/safety/choose-your-activity
- Find out about common risk factors and find out how to minimise them: https://rnli.org/safety/know-the-risks
- Farm kids, farm life — and the simple steps that keep children safe this summer
Dr. Bryan Monson, Deputy Chief Executive, HSENI, has recently used his own childhood experiences of growing up on a farm to raise awareness about keeping children safe.
Key safety reminders include:
- have a safe and secure play area for young children,
- prevent children from playing in or around farmyards and livestock,
- always know where your children are and supervise them when they are helping out,
- children under 13 years must not drive or ride on tractors and farm machinery including quads,
- always keep children well away when mixing slurry,
- keep track of where family members are playing or working and when they are expected back.
- make sure everyone washes their hands before eating and drinking,
- keep chemicals locked in a secure store when not in use,
- make sure that guards are in place to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery,
- make sure all family members know what to do in an emergency,
- prepare a list of emergency contact telephone numbers.
Bryan’s article and links to further guidance is available at the following link:
You can also find out more from The Farm Safety Foundation’s guidance document at the link below:
Look out for the NISG Farming Sub Committee on our stand at the following shows over the summer for more info:
- Castlewellan Show – Saturday 18th July 2026
- Antrim Show - Saturday 25th July, 2026
- Clogher Valley Show – Wednesday 29th July, 2026
5. What3words – these Apps can be used for those working in remote locations or when out and about during leisure time. Download the App to your phone using the correct link below:
what3words: Navigation & Maps – Apps on Google Play
what3words: Navigation & Maps on the App Store - Apple
We would like to take this opportunity to wish all of our members a safe and enjoyable summer ahead.
