The climatic conditions that Spain has been experiencing in recent years, with an appreciable increase in the average annual temperature, have generated very specific climatic phenomena such as an increase in the frequency, intensity and duration of periods of extreme heat. 

These phenomena have an impact on the world of work and, therefore, on the health and safety of workers. In fact, statistics are already available which put the increase in accidents at work at around 10% for reasons related to extreme heat.  Certainly, if we think back, cases of deaths of workers due to heat stroke in summer easily come to mind, given the media coverage. 

The risk of a heat stress accident arises from excessive heat build-up in the body, which needs to maintain an unchanging core temperature of 37°C. If the core temperature reaches 38°C, the core temperature of the body will rise to 38°C. The risk of a heat stress accident arises from excessive heat build-up in the body. If the core temperature reaches 38°C, damage starts to occur, and at 40.5°C and above, death is the consequence. When intense work with heavy physical exertion and, therefore, the generation of internal heat is combined with extremely hot environmental conditions, the risk of this type of accident is very high. 

As a society, we must be aware that certain physical activities can no longer be carried out under the influence of extreme heat waves, which means that certain jobs and economic activities will be affected. Equally, we must act so as not to encourage environmental degradation that will generate further climate disruption or exacerbate it. 

In the professional field, our role as prevention services and prevention technicians is to advance in the improvement and specificity of our risk assessments of work activities that may be affected by this extreme climatic influence. We have to professionally and technically analyse the causes that can lead to heat stress accidents and take whatever measures are necessary to eliminate the risk or reduce it to a level that can be considered tolerable.

Among the measures that can be taken to deal with the influence of climatic conditions are the following:

• Plan daily work according to weather forecasts, adapting the activity to the conditions of temperature, humidity, radiation, etc.
• Adapt the organisation of work, planning the most strenuous tasks at times when the weather is cooler.
• Suspend outdoor activity between 13/14 h and 17/18 h.
• Rotate workers between tasks with lower environmental load and tasks with higher environmental load.
• Provide PPE that protects against radiation without adding heat to the body. 
• Focus on health surveillance. More specific protocols that coincide with the heat wave period.
• Provide more specific training for workers. 
  
  
  

As preventionists, we must be imaginative and look for solutions that we had not considered before, for example:

• Generate shaded and well ventilated areas
• Create conditions of refreshment with water 
• Providing mobile air-conditioned units
  
  

In countries such as Finland, during the months of January and February when temperatures are below 10°C, I have noticed that at construction sites, workers operating in the open air are provided with caravans or caravans where they can take shelter from time to time to recover from the heat.

The effects of the climate on working conditions are a fact. New challenges force us to adapt as a society and as professionals.

At Eurocontrol we work to help companies face these ‘new’ threats, providing them with techniques, knowledge and preventive awareness to deal with the risks to workers' health generated by climatic conditions.