Workplace temperatures on high summer days
In Germany, the safety and health of workers during hot weather is of utmost importance. The country enforces stringent regulations to ensure a comfortable and safe working environment, primarily focusing on enforced indoor heat limits and ventilation requirements [5].
These regulations are part of broader occupational health protections aimed at minimizing risks from exposure to excessive heat in the workplace. Germany enforces several key measures:
- Indoor Temperature Limits: Employers are expected to maintain indoor temperatures below a certain threshold to prevent excessive heat exposure. However, the exact legal indoor temperature limit is not explicitly stated [5].
- Ventilation Requirements: Proper ventilation is essential to maintain air quality and reduce heat stress. Employers must ensure adequate ventilation in workrooms to prevent heat-related illnesses.
In addition to these measures, employers may also provide access to water, rest breaks, and adjusted work schedules, although these are part of general best practices internationally rather than specific quantified limits in Germany [5].
When temperatures soar above 35 degrees Celsius, employers must take immediate action, such as reducing the workload, providing cooled rooms, and allowing employees to take frequent breaks. Measures like air showers, water curtains, or heat-protective clothing may also be used [5].
At temperatures above 26 degrees Celsius, protective measures are recommended, such as the use of fans or ventilation, flexible working hours, a relaxed dress code, or providing drinks. Three temperature thresholds for offices and production halls are regulated: above 26, 30, and 35 degrees Celsius [5].
For outdoor work, employers must provide headgear, sunglasses with UV filters, and sunscreen to protect workers from harmful UV rays and ozone pollution [5]. In extreme temperatures, heavy work should be avoided or moved to the early morning hours [5].
Employers on construction sites must provide additional breaks during heatwaves and ensure more bearable conditions through technical measures like construction site tents or shade providers [5].
If an employer fails to provide these protective measures, employees can discuss the issue with them, contact the company's occupational safety specialist, the company doctor, or the works council, or seek help from the relevant occupational safety authority or the accident insurance carrier [5].
It's important to note that in Germany, there is no legal claim to heat leave for employees. However, employees have the right to work in conditions that do not endanger their lives and health in high temperatures [5].
These regulations align with international best practices, where employers also provide shaded rest areas, water, and training to prevent heat illness, although specific detailed German laws on exact temperature thresholds or detailed protocols were not found in the search results [1][5].
In conclusion, Germany regulates employee heat safety by enforcing indoor heat limits and ventilation requirements, alongside broader occupational safety standards to mitigate excessive thermal stress in the workplace [5]. The TOP principle applies: Technical measures should take precedence over organizational and personal measures. Suitable measures must be determined by the employer in a risk assessment.
- Employers in Germany must consider science-based workplace-wellness solutions and health-and-wellness measures to combat the effects of climate-change on employee health, specifically focusing on health and safety at work during hot weather.
- As part of broader environmental-science discussions, the German government encourages employers to implement health and safety at work practices that reduce heat stress by providing amenities like shaded rest areas, water, and heat-protective clothing.
- Recent research in environmental-science highlights the importance of health and safety at work, promoting workplace-wellness and health-and-wellness, and emphasizing the need for employers to continually adapt and improve their health and safety at work practices according to scientific advancements and climate-change predictions.
