Government Wants Better Protection Against Heat in the Workplace

ÖVP, SPÖ, and NEOS state in the government program a "separate protection regulation for employees working outdoors, not heat-free." The regulation is not yet completed, so the spokeswoman did not comment on the content. Currently, discussions are taking place with social partners, and there are still many points to coordinate and reconsider internally. However, they are "close to completion."

Protection from Heat: Voluntary Heat-Free in Construction According to Union Not Sufficient

Basically, it is about "proper heat protection for people - concrete, clear, understandable rules for heat protection, especially outdoors." Labor law must be taken into account. In view of the continuously increasing and prolonging heatwaves, the topic is on everyone's lips. In the national heat protection plan, employees are not explicitly mentioned. Heat stress burdens the circulatory system, concentration can decrease, and the risk of accidents can increase. In construction, heat-free - unlike the announced regulation - is already provided. However, it is based on voluntariness and, according to the union, is not applied often enough or "fails."

For the construction industry, there is a special heat regulation. This allows companies to release employees from work at 32.5 degrees. There is no obligation - naturally, not all employers make use of this option. If heat-free is granted, both employees and employers are entitled to reimbursement from the BUAK (Construction Workers' Holiday and Severance Pay Fund) bad weather fund, which they also jointly contribute to. Last year, BUAK recorded a record year in its statistics with 29 heat days, where temperatures exceeded 32.5 degrees Celsius in the shade - each measured at stations closest to construction sites by Geosphere Austria.

Expert: Starting Earlier and Siesta as Options for Protection from Heat

Regarding the announced regulation, Hans-Peter Hutter from the Medical University of Vienna said on Monday on ORF Radio Ö1: "One must consider reorganizing time so that some professional groups may start very early." A siesta is also an option. However, childcare must also be considered if employees are to start their activities much earlier.

(APA/red)

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