Overheating of the body can have very serious health consequences, including the effects leading to death. The currently applicable health and safety regulations do not specify the maximum temperature at which work can be performed. Instead, its minimum level is determined, depending on the work performed. According to the Ministry of Labour, the current legislation does not protect workers adequately.

A burning issue

The analyses and surveys carried out at the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy are aimed at developing solutions that will better care for workers’ interests. As a consequence of climate change, the number of hot days increases year by year, so the protection from high temperatures at a workplace is a must. The aim of the work carried out by the MRPiPS is to propose regulations that will already apply in the next summer season.

We receive information about another heatwave that will reach Poland. Temperatures can reach 40 degrees Celsius. Climate change, which is a reality, affects all our life. The MRPiPS is more and more frequently approached by both employees and employers who are wondering how they can legally respond to high temperatures at work. Therefore, as the Minister responsible for Labour, I have asked the Central Institute for Labour Protection, the State Labour Inspection and the Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine for our joint discussion to consider what we can do to best protect workers from the heat. What can we do today and what can we do for the future, said Minister Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk.

Beneficial cooperation

By engaging four actors with different competence in the works, the legislation to be developed will effectively protect workers over the forthcoming years. The State Labour Inspection focuses on the practice of labour law, the Central Institute for Labour Protection and the Institute of Occupational Medicine are research entities, while the Ministry of Labour brings together labour law experts to prepare the best legal solutions. Due to this cooperation, the solutions prepared will feature top quality.

The State Labour Inspection is the state authority that most frequently keeps direct contact with employees who feel insufficiently protected from the heat. They also often raise concerns, not knowing what rights they have and in which cases they can refuse to perform work. The State Labour Inspector, Marcin Stanecki, also recognises the need to change the legislation and enhance the protection of male and female workers.

This is a very important initiative, as it has been discussed for many years that the regulation of high temperatures at a workplace is missing in Polish legislation.  Due to the new regulations, the labour inspector will have real tools to counteract the risks to workers’ health that can result from high temperatures. The goal for all of us is that the employee does not suffer injury at work, Minister Marcin Stanecki communicated.

The regulations protecting male and female workers from exposure to heat are currently dispersed across various Acts of legislation and reviewing them may be difficult. Therefore, we are meeting the needs of employers and employees and offer them a tool they can comfortably use. This tool is the information package called “Good Climate at Work”. We encourage everyone to consult these materials and to disseminate this knowledge among friends and relatives. The information pack can be downloaded from the website of the Ministry of Labour.

Research in progress

The Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine in Łódź conducts research on workers' health. It is the only entity of this kind in Poland. Prof. Jolanta Walusiak-Skorupa, director of the Institute, spoke at the conference about the impact of hot weather on the health of workers.

It is the health and safety of employees that we should be concerned about at a workplace. High temperatures undoubtedly have a negative impact on worker’s health. The main cause is dehydration. We can face problems related with concentration, response time slows down. This is most dangerous for the elderly, people suffering from cardiovascular diseases and kidney diseases. I hope that the recommendations we have created will increase concern for employee health, said Professor Jolanta Walusiak-Skorupa.

Research is carried out at the Central Institute for Labour Protection (CIOP) to establish adequate temperature standards at work. CIOP is the state research institute dealing comprehensively with the formation of working conditions. The mission of the institute is to work towards improving working conditions. The institute offers services such as workplace microclimate assessment, thermal protective clothing assessment, employee heat load testing, health and safety training.

The institute has developed a prototype of protective clothing with an active cooling function, using the thermoelectric phenomenon. This solution takes the form of a very lightweight (less than 1 kg), body-fitting elastic harness, made of materials with very good biophysical properties. The cooling function is fulfilled by 6 integrated flexible thermoelectric modules.

The innovative solution was developed as part of the fifth stage of the multi-year programme “Improvement of safety and working conditions” implemented by CIOP-PIB in the years 2020-2022, financed in the field of scientific research and development works from NCBR funds in cooperation with the Department of Microelectronics and Information Technology at the Technical University of Łódź and PW Krystian sp. z o.o.

Protective clothing for working in the heat is an example of super innovative personal protection solutions. They are intended to support employees working at high temperatures. This solution is easy to use, to fit to any body, but above all it is very effective. An absolutely top solution, currently in preparation for production, said CIOP Director, Wiktor M. Zawieska.