“We’ll be careful”. In the Face of the ephemeral rise in temperatures this week, the minister of Labour Muriel Pénicaud asked as early as last Sunday that employers take their precaution. More generally, many of the posters that inter are broadcast on social networks as well as in public spaces to alert on the dangers that can cause strong heat on the employees: malaise, decreased productivity, fatigue, sunstroke. To avoid getting to that point, several sectors and companies have therefore taken the decision to adapt their working hours. Starting with the building sector.
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In a press release jointly signed with the ministry of Territorial Cohesion Monday, the French building Federation (FFB) has presented a regulatory framework that is appropriate for that particular week. A “responsible approach needs to be supported as possible by the local communities to enable early intervention in the morning,” notes the president of the federation Jacques Chanut. Thus, it encourages companies to BTP to shift schedules of their employees. This is for example the case in Vienna, explains The new republic : “as early as 6: 30, the guys get up, we made a brief pause in order to hope finishing to 14 hours,” says a member of the company Biard Facades of the brothers Bouchet.
“In extremely rare cases, a project may be interrupted”, says also, noting that solutions are usually found before to avoid this situation. A line of conduct which has been pursued by the Bouygues Construction group. “Each year we put on devices to ensure the safety of employees,” says the group. The FFB also recalls the obligation for the employer to provide to each three gallons of water. This last is an application of the article R4534-143 of the labour Code, which also specifies that “the national collective agreements stipulate the working situations, in particular climatic conditions, for which hot drinks non-alcoholic beverages are provided free of charge to workers”.
other relevant sectors
But the building is not the only field of activity that adapts to the realities of the climate. Thus, the Veolia group has a “procedure-specific health and safety” putting in motion a number of processes in the event of excessive heat. Employees of the recycling and recovery of waste, to stressful work conditions, have special protections, ranging from the installation of the “point and learn” sessions to inform them of the risks of exposure to the heat and remind of the conditions of basic security, the implementation schedule developed in agreement with local communities. “At Montbrison, the collection began at 3 o’clock in the morning instead of 6 o’clock”, cites the group as an example.
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Among the other workers that are particularly affected by the heatwave are the delivery platforms, such as Deliveroo or UberEats, forced to pedal in the furnace. If the platforms have no legal obligation, some, however, are in place specific measures in a period of strong heat. The platform Deliveroo thus indicates that its drivers receive an email from “prevention” with instructions of good sense when a plan heatwave is triggered: take breaks, choose light clothing, move to the shade as soon as possible, well hydrated, etc, Deliveroo has also implemented several water distribution points for its drivers in large cities. As Frichti: “At the beginning of each tour, when the drivers get orders to deliver, we put to disposition of the bottles of fresh water,” explains the company. At Deliveroo, plans with the location of the public fountains are also distributed to the drivers.
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Another area hit by this week’s heat, that of the road. At Poissy in the Yvelines department, the officers in charge of these services of urban cleanliness will begin their day at 6 am instead of 7: 30 am to be able to finish before 14h. In another register, the city has also installed a mist giant on one of its squares.
But not all of them can facilitate the lives of their workers. “We are, we are rather in the end of the chain, it adapts to the changes brought about by decisions such as the deferral of the patent of the colleges or the change of hours of the closure of the schools”, explains the general delegate of the National Federation of Passenger Transport (FNTV), Ingrid Mareschal. The trade union side, the CFDT, called on the mercy of the employees. “Everyone lives differently these episodes. It is therefore of utmost importance to be tuned in to the workers and propose solutions closer to their realities”, can we read in a press release. The first union of France calls him also to arrange times if necessary, and to adapt to the needs of the employees.
If the labour Code does not set a temperature limit for the exercise of his profession, each employee can exercise his right of withdrawal in preventing his employer. In this case, no penalty could be brought against him. The latter, however, may only be exercised if the employee believes to be in a situation of “grave and imminent danger to his life or health”, or if he finds a flaw “in the systems of protection put in place.
