03-07-2025
Italy limits outdoor work as deadly heatwave continues
Outdoor working was banned during the hottest hours of the day in many Italian regions this week, while the labour ministry announced it would extend similar measures nationwide.
Health and safety rules aimed at protecting people at work during heatwaves, particularly those working outdoors, were strengthened under a new 'heat protocol' drawn up by ministers along with representatives from trade unions and employers' associations.
Shifts and working hours must be reorganised during heatwaves, with employers required to provide increased training and risk assessment, under rules set to come into force under a ministerial decree in the coming days.
'Our priorities are health and safety at work, in particular work which must be carried out outdoors," Labour Minister Marina Calderone stated.
The protocol 'promotes good practices in order to prevent accidents and illnesses connected to extreme weather.'
The move to bring in national legislation came after more than half of Italy's regions this week banned work outdoors during the hottest hours of the day.
The industrial regions of Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna stopped open-air work between 12.30pm and 4pm, joining 11 other regions – from Liguria in the north-west to Sicily in the south – that had imposed similar bans in recent days.
Italian trade union CGIL urged authorities to take action after a 47-year-old construction worker died on a building site near Bologna, while two others were rushed to hospital after falling ill in Vicenza, Veneto.
In Palermo, Sicily, a 53-year-old woman died on Monday after collapsing while walking along a street. She reportedly suffered from a heart condition.
A 70-year-old man was reported to have drowned at a tourist resort near Turin as intense heat gave way to storms and flash floods in the area.
Italy's emergency units this week saw a 20 percent rise in admissions, with the majority of patients presenting heatstroke symptoms and severe dehydration.
A total of 18 cities, including Rome, Milan and Florence, were under a maximum-level 'red' heat warning on Thursday, with highs forecast of up to 40C in parts of the centre and south.
