Does Europe need clearer rules on heat at work?

As workers across many European cities struggled to cope with the first major heatwave of the year at the end of June, experts gathered at several events in Brussels to discuss the impact of climate change on occupational safety and health (OSH). In addition to agriculture, discussions focused on sectors such as construction and fisheries, where workers are also particularly exposed to heat-related risks.

A dangerous combination of risks

Figures by the International Labour Organization (ILO) show the growing number of workers worldwide affected by heat and extreme weather events. While already alarming, the ILO considers these figures likely to underestimate the true scale of the problem. Workers, particularly those employed outdoors, are no longer exposed to high temperatures only during heatwaves. Increasingly, persistently elevated temperatures outside heatwave periods are also affecting their safety and health at work.

The risks extend well beyond traditional climate-related hazards such as extreme heat and ultraviolet radiation. Workers are also increasingly exposed to a broader range of hazards, including agricultural chemicals, vector-borne diseases and air pollution.

Gaps in occupational safety and health legislation

Although the EU Framework Directive on Occupational Safety and Health already indirectly requires employers to take heat-related risks in the workplace into account, workers' representatives argue that these provisions are insufficient. The sector-specific directives for construction and fisheries also fall short, as they contain no explicit references to heat or extreme weather conditions.

Technical guidance remains voluntary, whereas binding legal requirements create the necessary incentives for employers to implement measures to protect workers from heat-related risks. This is also confirmed by recent findings from the European Survey of Enterprises on New and Emerging Risks (ESENER), which show that legal requirements remain the strongest driver of preventive action within companies. In principle, the Framework Directive would provide a legal basis for introducing a dedicated directive on occupational heat stress. Such legislation could follow the model of existing technical OSH directives, for example, those on the protection of workers from noise.

Future initiatives

Finnish Member of the European Parliament Maria Ohisalo (Greens/EFA) is expected to begin drafting an own-initiative report for the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) during the summer. While emphasising the importance of guidance and additional support measures, she also advocates binding legislative rules to protect workers from heat exposure. At the end of June, the European Commission likewise announced that it intends to give greater consideration to climate change-related challenges in the preparation of the forthcoming Quality Jobs Act and the revision of the Workplace Directive.