Working in extreme heat: France studies the rules applied in Spain

French Labour Minister Jean-Pierre Farandou and representatives of French employers and unions are travelling to Madrid to study the measures adopted in Spain to protect workers during periods of intense heat. The trip brings together representatives from the five major trade unions and the three leading employers' organizations.

This mission includes a meeting with Yolanda Díaz, the Spanish Minister of Labour, as well as several company visits. It was proposed in June by Jean-Pierre Farandou, when France was experiencing the first heat waves of a particularly hot summer.

"We are going there to see what good practices there may be," Cyril Chabanier, president of the CFTC, explained to AFP .

Temperatures are being regulated in Spanish premises.

Since the 1990s, Spain has imposed temperature limits in enclosed workplaces. For sedentary activities comparable to office work, the temperature must be between 17 and 27°C. For light work, it must remain between 14 and 25°C.

These thresholds do not constitute a general maximum temperature applicable to all professions. They concern certain categories of enclosed premises and must be assessed according to the activity carried out.

For activities carried out outdoors or in spaces that cannot be enclosed, Spanish regulations also include specific measures in case of adverse weather conditions. When an orange or red alert is issued and existing preventative measures are insufficient, the employer must adapt working conditions, including reducing or modifying working hours.

In some regions or companies, the continuous day system can also allow working time to be grouped between 8 a.m. and 15 p.m. during the summer period.

A strengthened French framework since 2025

In France, the decree of May 27, 2025, concerning the protection of workers against heat-related risks, has strengthened employers' obligations. The text requires employers to assess the risks associated with episodes of intense heat, for positions located both indoors and outdoors.

Preventive measures may include:

• the adaptation of processes, positions and workplaces;
• modifying the schedules in order to limit the duration and intensity of exposure;
• the implementation of rest periods;
• the reduction of solar radiation and heat accumulation;
• the provision of a sufficient quantity of fresh drinking water;
• the provision of suitable work and protective equipment;
• informing employees about the risks and the procedures to follow.

On construction and civil engineering sites without running water, at least three liters of water per day per worker must be provided. Prevention plans, general coordination plans, and specific health and safety plans must also incorporate the risks associated with extreme heat.

The unions are demanding additional measures

Despite this regulatory strengthening, trade unions believe that the obligations are not being sufficiently enforced in companies. The General Confederation of Labour (CGT) is specifically calling for maximum temperature limits to be enshrined in the Labour Code.

The number of work-related deaths attributable to the heat during the summer of 2026 has not yet been released by the Directorate General for Labour. The CGT estimates it at around twenty, a figure which does not constitute an official count at this stage.

An online survey conducted by the union with approximately 11.000 respondents indicates that 71,1% of them were not contacted by their employer to adjust their working conditions during the summer. In total, 84,4% also reported experiencing significant fatigue.

For the CFDT, the adaptation of companies must be prepared with employee representatives.

"The main thing for the CFDT is to work on adaptation plans very quickly and for employers to understand that this cannot be done without social dialogue," he said. Marylise Léon, general secretary of the CFDT.