A study by the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) published on Wednesday, 6 July shows that no EU country has yet taken into account the real measure of the impact of temperature rises on the health, safety, well-being and productivity of the working population.
“At present, many workers suffer from employers’ inaction while authorities tend to continue to turn a blind eye to extreme exposure during heat waves”, the report says.
The increase in fatal and non-fatal hospital admissions during heat events is thought to be predominantly related to occupational exposures. “When the ambient temperature exceeds 38°C, the overall risk of injury increases by 10% to 15%”. The risk of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases also increases, according to the report.
The ETUI has made a series of recommendations in relation to “heat stress”, such as a requirement for employers to prepare an action plan that encompasses any locally determined conceivable level of heat, with regard to any situation and any workstation. Sectoral guidelines for technical and organisational adaptations should be designed to include preventive measures such as refreshment areas, minimum rest periods and breaks, ways of cooling down or showers. There is also a need for a public heat wave warning system specifically for the working population, in addition to that which is already in place for the general population.
Link to the report: https://aeur.eu/f/2k9 (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)