The death of a street sweeper in Madrid from heat exhaustion during the heatwave that swept Europe shows the dangers extreme temperatures pose to outdoor workers.
As heat waves are expected to become more frequent and intense, unions are pushing for more protections for refuse collectors, farm workers, construction workers and others who work in the heat.
Manual street cleaning in the Spanish capital will be phased out if temperatures rise above 39 degrees Celsius (102 degrees Fahrenheit), according to an agreement reached between Madrid City Hall and unions on Tuesday.
Additionally, on days of extreme heat, shifts start later to avoid the greatest heat.
The deal comes after a 60-year-old street cleaner on a one-month contract died on Saturday after collapsing on the street from heat stroke at work the previous day.
At the time, temperatures in Madrid were approaching 40ºC.
A 56-year-old warehouse worker in a Madrid suburb also died on Saturday after suffering heat stroke while at work.
Emergency services said they found him unconscious, with convulsions and a body temperature of 42.9C.
“It’s scary,” said 52-year-old construction worker Javier Herreros, wearing a thick neon vest, as he replaced cobblestones in central Madrid under the blazing sun.
The past few days have been “very difficult,” he added.
“I don’t have any health problems, but working in the sun all day makes me very tired.”
– ‘Unsafe Conditions’ –
Workers have suffered heat-related deaths elsewhere in Europe this month as temperatures in excess of 40C have brought misery to millions and shattered heat records.
Two farm workers died in southern Italy in early July while working in scorching temperatures.
Her death came a year after the heat-related death of a 27-year-old Malian seasonal worker prompted several Italian regions to ban farm work during the hottest hours.
And this week two people died in separate accidents in France “possibly” linked to the heatwave, health officials said on Wednesday.
Across Europe, authorities in recent days have urged people to work from home if possible and to take precautions when working outdoors, such as drinking plenty of water.
But the unions say this is not enough.
“Europe needs safe maximum working temperatures,” tweeted the European Trade Union Confederation.
“Nobody should have to work in unsafe conditions – stop work if it’s too hot.”
Britain’s Trades Union Congress said it “wants to see a change in legislation” that sets 30 degrees Celsius as the “maximum temperature” at which work should stop.
– ‘occupational risk’ –
Spain’s largest union, the CCOO, said other measures were needed to reduce workers’ risk from scorching temperatures.
She proposes introducing longer breaks for workers who are most exposed to the heat, and training for employers.
The union also wants employers to identify all workplaces most exposed to high temperatures.
The Brussels-based European Trade Union Institute think tank said in a recent report that “weather-related heat stress should be viewed as an escalating occupational hazard that deserves full societal recognition”.
“Currently, large swathes of workers are suffering from employer inaction, while authorities tend to continue to turn a blind eye to extreme exposure during heat waves,” the report added.
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