Understanding the Risks of Heat Stress in the Workplace
As summer temperatures continue to rise across Europe, workers from Italy’s farms to Germany’s warehouses are facing serious health risks. Heat stress can lead to heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and even death, sometimes hours or days after exposure. The body’s effort to cool itself can also cause kidney problems and worsen existing conditions like heart disease, respiratory issues, and mental health challenges.
These dangers became evident during recent heatwaves, when a 51-year-old street cleaner in Barcelona collapsed and died hours after finishing her shift. Spanish authorities are currently investigating whether the heatwave contributed to her death.
Unlike other environmental hazards such as air pollution, there is no uniform rule for heat exposure across the European Union. This means each member country has its own set of laws to protect workers from extreme heat.
What Makes a Temperature Too Hot to Work?
High temperatures are not the only concern during heatwaves. The Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) is a more accurate measure of heat stress for physically active workers. It considers heat, humidity, wind, and sunlight. WBGT includes four threat levels: low, elevated, moderate, high, and extreme. Temperatures above 29 to 32 degrees Celsius are typically considered extreme threats to workers’ wellbeing, significantly increasing the risk of heat illness.
Extreme heat poses greater risks for those working outdoors in physically demanding jobs, such as construction, agriculture, and emergency services. However, indoor employees, including office workers, can also face risks if their environment is poorly cooled or ventilated.
Globally, extreme heat kills nearly 19,000 workers per year, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO). In the EU, there has been a 42% increase in heat-related workplace deaths since 2000.
Recognizing and Responding to Heat Stress
Many people may not realize they are at risk of heat stress, especially if they are young and fit, warned Alessandro Marinaccio, research director at the National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (INAIL) in Italy. “There is a lack of awareness about the risk for the health of workers due to occupational exposure to extreme temperature,” he said.
Marinaccio’s team developed a tool to map daily risk levels for workers in Italy based on the physical demands of their job and whether they work in the sun or shade. Health experts recommend that workers pay attention to their symptoms, such as dizziness, fatigue, headache, nausea, muscle cramps, fainting, and confusion.
If you experience these symptoms, stop working, drink water, remove unnecessary clothing, and sit in a cool, shaded area. If you cannot cool down within 30 minutes, seek emergency medical care.
Knowing Your Rights During Heatwaves
Several EU countries have rules to protect workers from heat stress, including Germany, Slovenia, Hungary, Belgium, Cyprus, Greece, Spain, France, and Italy. For example, in France, employers must provide fresh drinking water and adapt workplaces and working hours to protect workers from extreme heat. In parts of Italy, outdoor work was banned during the hottest hours of the day during the last major heatwave in July.
Generally, countries with heat-related laws set work limits around 29 to 30 degrees Celsius for high-intensity work, 30 to 31 degrees for moderate work, and 31.5 to 32.5 degrees for light work, according to the ILO.
The EU mandates that employers protect workers’ health and safety from occupational risks, though there is no specific legislation on heat stress. “Whenever a worker is facing a threat to his own physical integrity, they have the right not to work,” said Ignacio Doreste, a senior advisor at the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC).
However, enforcement is needed, as diseases related to occupational heat are often underreported. The ETUC has called for new laws to protect EU-based workers during heatwaves, including the right to medical examinations and the right to skip work without consequences if an employee believes working in extreme heat will put them at risk.
If you are unsure about your rights during a heatwave, check your work contract or consult with your company representatives or trade union.
