For the fortnight it is actually hot.

Lighter weights and moisture-wicking fabric rather than less clothing — the hazards do not go away in July. A breathable polo, work shorts where the risk assessment allows them, a lightweight hi-vis vest rather than a jacket, and a cap. Cotton feels cooler at first and then stays wet; a wicking knit stays drier.

It depends entirely on the site and the task, and plenty of principal contractors prohibit them outright because of the cut and abrasion risk to the legs. Check the site rules before you order a batch — shorts that cannot be worn are money gone.

If the risk assessment says hi-vis, the weather does not change it. What changes is the garment: a lightweight mesh or vented hi-vis vest at the required class is far more likely to be worn in August than a long-sleeved jacket, and a vest nobody takes off protects better than a jacket hanging on a fence.

Yes — mesh-upper safety trainers and vented boots exist and still carry the 200 joule toecap under EN ISO 20345. The compromise is water: a breathable upper is not a water-resistant one, so summer footwear and winter footwear are often genuinely different boots rather than the same one.

Outdoor workers are exposed to a real occupational risk from UV, and an employer's general duty to assess and control risk covers it. In practice that means long sleeves in light fabric, a cap or a legionnaire-style neck cover, certified tinted eye protection to EN 172 for glare, shade and water — and sunscreen as the last line, not the first.

Buying one lightweight polo per person and nothing else. People sweat through more garments in hot weather, so the same team that manages on three polos in winter needs four or five in summer. The second most common is ordering cotton because it feels cooler in the shop — it is wetter by mid-morning.