Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, why the Office of Rail and Road does not publish thermal comfort guidance for road drivers; for what reason air conditioning is not legally required in lorries and vans; and if her Department will take steps to begin collecting statistical data on cab temperatures in road vehicles.

The Office of Rail and Road does not have a role in monitoring, regulating or setting standards for vehicles or drivers. The Department for Transport has no current plans to begin collecting statistical data on cab temperatures in road vehicles.

Heat is classed as a hazard and should be treated by employers like any other hazard. There is a legal obligation under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 for all employers to make a suitable assessment of the risk to workers and act where necessary. Detailed guidance for employers and workers about temperature in the workplace is available from the Health and Safety Executive website. The guidance is not written for specific job roles, such as delivery drivers, but includes information on how to undertake a thermal comfort assessment and outlines measures that can be taken to improve thermal comfort and reduce the risk of heat stress.