06/05/2025
While in Game of Thrones the characters feared winter, in real life, we now fear summer. Indeed, the leitmotif ‘summer is coming’ takes on a new meaning, serving as a warning of the occupational risks it poses.
On 4th March, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) adopted a resolution on the content of a Directive on the prevention of occupational heat risk. However, this is not the first time ETUC has called for greater protection in this area. Heat is causing significant social and environmental consequences. One only needs to recall the wildfires in California last February, last summer’s heatwaves in Europe, or the alarming projections from the IPCC regarding the continuous rise in temperatures and their intensification in the upcoming decades.
The world of work is not immune to these risks. It has been stated that climate change – and, with it, rising temperatures – pose risks to workers’ health and safety. Moreover, the International Labour Organization (ILO) itself, in its latest report on Ensuring safety and health at work in a changing climate, has already issued a warning on this matter. According to its findings, 2.41 billion workers worldwide are exposed to excessive heat, with the European figure reaching 130 million. Most importantly, these risks will keep growing as some foresight studies are already stating.
What are we expecting for next summer?
It is only a matter of time before we start reading news about rising temperatures and workers suffering from their effects. This raises an important question: why wait to act? Discussions around excessive heat in the workplace often focus on fatalities. However, limiting the discussion to these cases creates a tunnel vision effect, where only the tip of the iceberg is considered. The real problem extends much further, as the implications are diverse, including short-term and long-term consequences. A clear example is the wide range of health effects associated with excessive heat, including “heat stress, heatstroke, heat exhaustion, rhabdomyolysis, heat syncope, heat cramps, heat rash, cardiovascular disease, acute kidney injury, chronic kidney disease, and physical injury” (ILO). Most recently, the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) has stated the challenge that Eco-anxiety poses for occupational safety and health as an emerging risk linked to the rising temperatures.
Furthermore, while it is true that excessive heat predominantly affects outdoor workers, this does not mean that other sectors remain unaffected. The same applies to individual worker characteristics, such as age, gender or pre-existing health conditions, which can make some workers more vulnerable. It is therefore necessary to establish a regulation that addresses both the common and differentiated needs that excessive heat entails. For example, consider a worker performing their duties outdoors where temperatures exceed 40°C. Now, consider that same worker in an industrial laundry (indoor worker) facility with industrial irons reaching 150°C, significantly increasing the working environment temperature. Finally, imagine that same worker in a premenopausal stage. The conclusion is self-evident: as workers face different levels of vulnerability, the measures in place should accommodate these differences.
A necessary directive with a comprehensive approach
The proposed directive refers to adaptation tools aimed at reducing workers’ vulnerability to the risks posed by extreme heat. It would do so from a comprehensive perspective. The key aspects of the resolution call for the establishment of maximum working temperatures, taking into account sectoral and personal conditions. It also advocates for mandatory heat risk assessments, requiring a clear definition of heat stress. In addition, it would be necessary to adopt more suitable risk assessment methods, such as Wet Bulb Globe Temperature, ensuring they are inclusive, given that the risk disproportionately affects vulnerable groups. Another proposed tool is the implementation of heat management plans, which would regulate responses to adverse weather conditions. Some countries, such as Spain, already have regulations requiring companies to communicate alerts issued by meteorological authorities.
Moreover, workers should be entitled to certain rights, such as health monitoring concerning their concrete vulnerability to extreme heat, as well as the right to receive training on this issue. They should also have the right to suspend work in the event of imminent risk, and even to receive social protection during work stoppages. It is worth mentioning that the Resolution follows the logic of the framework directive on occupational health and safety by advocating the STOP approach, which prioritises: (1) substituting or eliminating the risk where possible; (2) implementing technical measures (e.g., cooling areas); (3) adopting organisational measures (like concentrating work during cooler hours); and (4) providing personal protective equipment.
Ultimately, ETUC’s proposal is both necessary and appropriate. It seeks to adapt work to a specific and growing risk that increasingly affects workers. This is consistent with the EU legal corpus of occupational health and safety, where emerging and unaddressed risks require targeted regulatory action.
Examples to follow and gaps to be filled
This same perspective has been adopted by some countries, such as Spain, where there is a commitment to establishing a comprehensive Regulation protecting workers against climate change-related risks. While this regulation is not yet in place, the government has pledged to approve it within the current year. On the other hand, Greece has also approved (on a temporary basis) the suspension of outdoor work during periods of extreme temperatures. However, both measures were implemented as a direct response to specific events linked to climate change variations.
Nowadays, regulations and measures on the topic are not harmonised. This puts additional pressure on the European Commission, as some member states will begin to acknowledge the risk and take action, while others remain without specific protections. This leads to a lack of harmonised protection that could be duly tackled with such a directive. Moreover, it is worth mentioning that other extreme weather events (such as droughts, floods, heatwaves etc.) have a health and safety at work component that must certainly be addressed soon.
Looking ahead, this problem will only continue to grow. The Mediterranean region, in particular, is expected to experience significant temperature increases. This means that, over time, the consequences for workers’ health and safety will become more severe, making efforts to address them increasingly complex. Both the EU and member states must take proactive and coordinated action instead of a reactive approach.
Photo credit: Shutterstock.com/Pictrider
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