“Two workers died of heat stroke in Spain last week. In France, a country that does not limit temperatures at work, 12 people died from heat-related occupational accidents in 2020,” the CES points out in a press release.
The balance even increased this Thursday in Spain, after announcing the emergency services of the Community of Madrid the death “due to heat stroke” of a man who distributed brochures in mailboxes.
“Across the European Union, 23% of workers are exposed to high temperatures for at least a quarter” of their working day, a percentage that rises to 36% in the agriculture and industry sectors and 38% in construction according to figures from the Eurofound agency.
Few national laws
However, “only a handful of European countries have legislation aimed at protecting workers during heat waves”, with “great variations” from state to state.
According to ETUC-affiliated unions, Belgian workers whose jobs are physically demanding cannot work when the temperature exceeds 22°C.
The limit is set 5°C higher in Hungary for the same type of work, while Slovenia limits the temperature to 28°C in all workplaces.
However, according to the World Health Organization, the optimum working temperature is between 16 and 24°C.
Optimum working temperature: between 16 and 24°
“Workers are on the front lines of the climate crisis every day, they need adequate protections,” warns ETUC Deputy General Secretary Claes-Mikael Stahl.
“Weather conditions don’t care about national borders. This is why we need Europe-wide legislation on maximum temperatures at work,” the statement continued.
The heat wave that hit Western Europe in mid-July killed more than 500 people in Spain and broke many temperature records in France, the UK and Denmark.
The multiplication of heat waves is a direct consequence of the climate crisis according to scientists, with greenhouse gas emissions increasing in intensity, duration and frequency.
Source: BFM TV
