42% increase in heat-related deaths at work in the EU since 2000, trade union says

Published on 04/07/2025 - 19:21 GMT+2

The heatwave sweeping crossed Europe has claimed its first victims astatine work. Spain and France person each reported a heatwave-related death. Similar tragedies person occurred successful erstwhile summers successful some countries, arsenic good arsenic successful Italy and Greece.

The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) is sounding nan alarm. According to figures from nan International Labour Organisation, nan EU has seen a 42% summation successful heat-related deaths successful nan workplace since nan move of nan century.

The ETUC points retired that, according to studies, erstwhile temperatures transcend 30°C, nan consequence of work-related accidents increases by 5 to 7%. When nan somesthesia rises supra 38°C, nan consequence is 10-15% higher.

The European confederation is truthful calling for European measures to protect workers.

"We request to measure nan risks by taking into relationship not only nan temperature, but besides different conditions affecting humidity and, specifically, nan magnitude of shadiness available, ventilation and vulnerability to sunlight," insists Giulio Romani, ETUC Confederal Secretary.

"Secondly, we judge that location should beryllium nan correct to aesculapian examinations, controls and periodic inspections. And finally, a correct to beryllium absent from activity without disciplinary measures aliases sanctions, successful cases wherever nan worker perceives that nan utmost power conditions are putting him aliases her astatine risk", he adds.

In nan EU, 23% of workers are exposed to precocious temperatures astatine slightest a 4th of nan time, 36% successful agriculture and manufacture and 38% successful construction.

Dizziness, headaches and musculus cramps are nan first symptoms of power stress. These signals tin past lead to vomiting, nonaccomplishment of consciousness and moreover decease if nary action is taken. High temperatures besides exacerbate a scope of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.

Different nationalist rules

The ETUC is calling for maximum moving temperatures to beryllium group for different sectors of activity.

Some personnel states person already group thresholds, says nan European confederation.

• Belgium: 29°C for ray beingness work, 26°C for moderately dense beingness work, 22°C for dense beingness activity and 18°C for very dense beingness work.
• Hungary: 31°C for sedentary activity and ray beingness work, 29°C for mean beingness activity and 27°C for dense beingness work.
• Latvia: maximum indoor moving somesthesia of 28°C.
• Spain: nan maximum moving somesthesia for sedentary work, specified arsenic agency work, is 27°C, while for ray activity it is 25°C. However, these limits do not use to each types of work, nor to each workers aliases premises.