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Swiss Union Pushes Stronger Heat Protection for Construction Workers
(MENAFN) Switzerland’s Unia trade union calls for tougher workplace safeguards for construction workers as extreme temperatures raise concerns about health and safety on building sites.
The union surveys 984 construction workers across Switzerland in July and finds that most do not regularly receive the breaks required during periods of intense heat. Only 18% say they consistently receive the mandatory 15-minute break every hour when temperatures reach 33C (91.4F), while 67% report never receiving the breaks and another 15% say they receive them only occasionally.
More than two-thirds of those surveyed also say their working schedules are not changed to keep them away from the hottest hours of the day.
The survey further reveals that 15% of workers have either suffered a heat-related health problem themselves or witnessed a colleague experience one.
“The question is not whether working in extreme heat is tiring or unpleasant: it is health and safety at work that are at stake,” Unia said.
The union urges Switzerland to introduce a 33C (91.4F) temperature limit into its Construction Work Ordinance. Under its proposal, demanding outdoor construction activities would be halted once temperatures exceed that level unless employers can provide guaranteed 15-minute breaks every hour in air-conditioned spaces.
Unia also calls for more frequent workplace inspections to ensure heat-safety rules are followed. In addition, it wants construction schedules and compensation arrangements to be modified to reflect work interruptions caused by extreme temperatures.
The union surveys 984 construction workers across Switzerland in July and finds that most do not regularly receive the breaks required during periods of intense heat. Only 18% say they consistently receive the mandatory 15-minute break every hour when temperatures reach 33C (91.4F), while 67% report never receiving the breaks and another 15% say they receive them only occasionally.
More than two-thirds of those surveyed also say their working schedules are not changed to keep them away from the hottest hours of the day.
The survey further reveals that 15% of workers have either suffered a heat-related health problem themselves or witnessed a colleague experience one.
“The question is not whether working in extreme heat is tiring or unpleasant: it is health and safety at work that are at stake,” Unia said.
The union urges Switzerland to introduce a 33C (91.4F) temperature limit into its Construction Work Ordinance. Under its proposal, demanding outdoor construction activities would be halted once temperatures exceed that level unless employers can provide guaranteed 15-minute breaks every hour in air-conditioned spaces.
Unia also calls for more frequent workplace inspections to ensure heat-safety rules are followed. In addition, it wants construction schedules and compensation arrangements to be modified to reflect work interruptions caused by extreme temperatures.
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