While France is preparing to experience a new scorching week, with temperatures reaching 40 ° C on a large part of the territory, working conditions during hot weather will change their framework. As of this Tuesday, July 1, the protection of employees in the face of heat becomes a regulatory obligation for employers.
Guest this Monday morning on RMCthe Minister of Labor, Astrid Panosyan-Bouvet, detailed the contours of the decree which comes into force this Tuesday. “We are moving from a logic of incentive to a logic of employers’ obligation”she said, emphasizing the urgency of adapting the world of work to climate change.
The decree now registers heat among the recognized professional risks. Consequently, employers will have to deploy suitable measures, depending on the specificities of the trades. Among them: the possibility of modifying the working hours, especially for the jobs exposed, as in the construction, by advancing the hours of taking the job or by developing additional break times.
Reinforced hydration and suitable equipment
The text also requires the provision of sufficient means of hydration: at least 3 liters of water per day and per employee in the absence of running water in the workplace. High heat protection equipment will also have to be provided: Skill, Fanchers, Burnings and breathable clothing are now registered in employers’ obligations, in order to help workers to “Maintain a stable body temperature”.
To ensure the application of these new rules, the labor inspectorate will intensify its controls during the summer. Last year, 1,500 interventions were carried out, mainly in construction, agriculture and catering. This year, the volume of controls will be reinforced, with the possibility for the administration to put companies in notice if the obligations are not complied with.
“All employees are affected and must protect themselves in the face of heat”recalled the minister, who specifies that the text was developed in consultation with the social partners.
