A New Heatwave is Approaching

Heat in the Workplace – The Risks Are Real

Working in high temperatures can cause heat stroke, exhaustion, dehydration, reduced concentration and other health problems. Particularly at risk are older workers, pregnant women, people with chronic illnesses, and all those performing physically demanding tasks. The first signs of overheating include headache, dizziness, excessive sweating, rapid heartbeat and nausea.

Employer’s Obligations

Employers are required to ensure that outdoor work is carried out safely and without unnecessary risks to employees’ health. Among other measures, they must:

• provide 15-minute breaks or interruptions of work at least every two to three hours,
• ensure free access to sufficient quantities of non-alcoholic beverages,
• provide adequate protection against the effects of the sun,
• adapt working hours so that the most demanding tasks are carried out during the cooler parts of the day,
• enable work in shaded or cooler areas whenever possible.

New Regulation Brings Clear Rules

The new regulation stipulates that work at outdoor workplaces at air temperatures above 30 °C, measured by the national meteorological station network or by stations registered in the meteorological register, may only be carried out under the condition that workers are provided with at least 15-minute breaks every two to three hours and with free non-alcoholic drinks. During these breaks, employers must, to the greatest possible extent, ensure protection against adverse weather conditions.

In addition, employers must provide workers performing outdoor tasks in clear and sunny weather with adequate protection against the effects of the sun.

Meteorological data are available on the ARSO website. For detailed and up-to-date information: ARSO- Observations  (tabs “Automatic Stations” and “Observation Stations”).

The amendment of the Regulation will improve working conditions for workers during periods of high outdoor temperatures, both at permanent outdoor workplaces and at temporary or mobile construction sites. Regardless of whether an employee works on a large or small site, they must be provided with conditions for safe and healthy work in hot weather. The Regulation introduces equal standards for all. Until now, additional measures in the event of high temperatures were implemented as good practice at the initiative of employers, but now this will be a legal obligation, enforceable by inspectors in cases of non-compliance.

Heat in the workplace is not merely an inconvenience – it is a serious risk that requires responsible action from everyone. By following preventive measures, we can prevent health complications and ensure safe working conditions even on the hottest days.

Example of Good Practice

During a recent inspection of two major construction sites, the inspector observed that coordinators for occupational safety and health were already proactively reminding employers of the importance of additional breaks, refreshments, and protection from heat, even before this was explicitly required by law. The amendment of the Regulation now establishes such approaches as mandatory.

Inspectors will pay particular attention in their inspections to whether employers comply with the provisions of the Regulation – not only with regard to basic safety requirements, but also concerning the measures to protect workers from high temperatures – especially in light of increasingly frequent and intense heat stress. The goal is not to punish employers, but to identify risks in time, eliminate shortcomings, and raise awareness among employers.