Working in extreme heat

Europe is the fastest-warming continent on Earth, a reality that all kinds of workplaces need to adapt to. Recent survey evidence tells us that around one in five workers in the EU have reported exposure to extreme heat at work, rising to one in three workers in some southern countries. 

So this begs the question: does the law do enough to ensure adequate worker protection? And what are the costs of inaction?

This episode's guest is Marouane Laabbas-el-Guennouni (ETUI), one of the authors of a new report on the impact of climate change on workers’ health, which looks at how EU legislation can be improved to address the challenge of rising temperatures. 

Joining us is Ivan Ivanov, political secretary at the European Federation of Food, Agriculture, and Tourism Trade Unions (EFFAT), which represents some of the most vulnerable types of labour when it comes to extreme heat exposure. 

Further reading

Climate change and workers’ health | etui

Workers and the climate challenge | etui

Heatwaves as an occupational hazard | etui

[Mid-episode advert for Unsung: Cleaners, a new podcast from UNI Europa.]