An employee exposed to extreme temperatures can leave his job if he finds that the activity poses a serious and imminent risk to his health, without any sanction from his company
The heat is deadly. The death of a sweeper in Madrid has highlighted the harsh working conditions some jobs must endure amid rising temperatures. And while this heat wave will subside from tomorrow, we must be prepared as high temperatures become more and more common in the daily lives of Spanish workers.
For this reason, the government has pledged to “act with all the force and weight of the law” to prevent heat stroke that could endanger workers’ health. The second vice president, Yolanda Díaz, announced this in a statement to the media on Monday.
In addition, the Minister of Labor warned that it will be necessary to change labor regulations in light of the ‘climate emergency’. “We’re going to have to change our way of life, change the rules of labor regulation, as we’re already doing, going through building climate shelters, reforming our homes to achieve energy efficiency,” he noted.
Díaz also recalled that his ministry launched a special plan this summer to address the risks of exposure to high temperatures. To this end, the Labor Inspectorate has intensified visits to check working conditions in more vulnerable sectors, such as rural areas or construction, where compliance with planned services is mainly checked. In addition, these controls have also been extended to the hotel industry, industry and other outdoor activities, such as gardening, waste collection or street cleaning, among others. In turn, 115,000 letters are sent to companies in these sectors warning them of their duty to comply with the occupational risk prevention protocol and to ensure working conditions. Díaz even assured that the company the deceased street sweeper worked for has received one of these letters.
“If it is shown that there is a lack of protective measures, the company will be responsible for non-compliance with regard to occupational risk prevention,” explains Ana Ercoreca, labor inspector. The fines can range from 2,451 euros to 983,736 if they are considered very serious.
In any case, Ercoreca emphasizes that workers exposed to extreme temperatures can leave their jobs if they notice that the activity poses a serious and imminent risk to their health – such as the fact that their body temperature exceeds 40 degrees – without the company any form of sanction, such as dismissal or sanction.
In addition, the Labor Inspectorate has made the following recommendations for working with high temperatures:
– Provide drinking water near workplaces.
-Schedule the heaviest tasks in the hours with less heat and adjust work schedules as needed.
-Take more breaks than usual and in cool places.
– Try to wear loose clothing, light fabric, and light colors.
-Protect the head with a cap or hat.
-Increase the frequency of recovery breaks.
-Allow shady or cool places for the rest of the employees.
-Avoid individual work and prefer teamwork to facilitate mutual supervision of employees.
– Inform workers about the risks of heat, its effects and the preventive and first aid measures to be taken.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
