Italian unions and municipalities push for heat‑related workplace safety measures

The CISL Salerno union and its FILCA branch have asked the Prefect of Salerno to convene an urgent provincial table on occupational heat risk. They want permanent coordination among trade unions, employer groups, the regional health service, the Labour Inspectorate and INAIL to set clear guidelines for workers exposed to temperatures above 35 °C in construction, agriculture, logistics and other outdoor sectors. As CISL secretary Marilina Cortazzi said, “The health and safety of workers must be an absolute priority of the institutional agenda.”

In Alessandria, the public waste‑service firm AMAG Ambiente presented the results of the “Caldo e lavoro” study, which found that 47 % of workplace injuries occurred under thermal discomfort. The company is deploying a mobile app to monitor heat exposure, offering a mandatory 15‑minute break each hour, and launching training courses on heat‑related risks. Paolo Collini, a board member of the Rubes Triva Foundation, noted, “The data show that nearly half of injuries happen in thermal stress conditions, confirming the direct impact of temperature on safety.” The initiative has already contributed to a decline in heat‑related accidents over the past three years.