A major new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has brought fresh attention to the need for mandatory workplace heat risk assessments, backing the ETUC’s call on the European Commission to bring forward a directive on the prevention of occupational heat risks.
The number of heat tragedies in Europe is on the rise following a summer of record-breaking wildfires across Southern Europe – tragically resulting in the deaths of several people at work. Trade unions have been very active on the ground to devise and implement measures that effectively protect workers against this risk.
The report, Climate Change and Workplace Heat Stress, highlights the growing threat of extreme heat to workers’ health and productivity, and calls for systematic assessments using internationally recognised indicators. Workplace assessments, the report argues, are essential to identifying high-risk environments and triggering Occupational Heat Action Programmes (OHAPs) tailored to specific sectors and job roles.
The ETUC is campaigning for binding legislation to protect workers from heat stress, including mandatory risk assessments that take into account temperature, humidity, solar radiation, and airflow. The WHO/WMO report reinforces this call, stating that qualitative assessments must be followed by quantitative methods to ensure accurate identification of workplace hazards.
The report also aligns with trade union demands in other key areas, including:
- Worker Participation: It calls for the co-creation of heat action plans with trade unions and employers, recognising that effective prevention depends on meaningful collaboration.
- Protection of Vulnerable Workers: It identifies outdoor workers, older individuals, pregnant employees, and migrant and seasonal workers as particularly at risk, and recommends tailored interventions including acclimatisation programmes and medical surveillance.
ETUC Confederal Secretary Giulio Romani said:
"This report confirms what workers and unions have been saying for years: heat is a workplace hazard, and it must be treated as such.
"Mandatory risk assessments are the first step towards protecting lives and livelihoods in a warming world. We welcome the WHO and WMO’s recognition of the role of trade unions in shaping workplace safety policies.
“Rising temperatures are not a problem that only affects southern countries, which are traditionally warmer, because it is creating various problems for the health and safety of workers, including fatalities, even in northern areas. For this reason, risk prevention must be effective everywhere and agreed upon with workers' representatives.
“Workplace risk assessments should be inclusive, ensuring that workplace evaluations and prevention strategies are designed to address the specific effects of heat exposure at work from a gender perspective."
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