Heat in construction sites, Filca Cisl writes to the prefect of Catania: “Immediate suspension of activity during peak hours”

Last Updated: June 24, 2024

Caldo nei cantieri, la Filca Cisl scrive al prefetto di Catania: «Subito la sospensione dell'attività nelle ore di punta»

Explain to me the following article briefly:
“We ask for immediate municipal ordinances to be issued to apply urgent measures against heat in construction sites to ensure and protect the safety of workers from thermal stress.” This is stated in a joint note by the regional secretary of Filca Cisl Sicilia, Paolo D’Anca, and the provincial secretary of Filca Cisl Catania, Pippo Famiano, who have sent a letter to the prefect of Catania to request urgent implementation of measures to address the heat emergency in construction sites.

“In the entire Catania area – add the two union leaders of Cisl – there are thousands of construction sites, both public and private, and just as many workers who daily work outdoors, exposed to climatic conditions that seriously endanger the health of workers. Summer temperatures, often exceeding 35 degrees, represent a real danger. Legislative decree 148/2015 and a note from Inps and Inail in July 2022 have clearly established that when the temperature reaches 35 degrees, activities on construction sites must be suspended if specific intervention measures are not adopted to mitigate the risk.” According to Cisl, these rules “however are not sufficient if not accompanied by a coordinated and effective action on the territory. It is urgent, therefore, that all institutions involved take action to adopt effective preventive and protective measures and we are ready to start a dialogue with the territorial representatives of Ance to also discuss the variation of the work schedule in view of the whole summer season to ensure the continuation of work on construction sites.”

In conclusion, D’Anca and Famiano say that “the health and safety of workers cannot be compromised. Exceptionally high temperatures not only make outdoor work difficult but can cause serious health problems and reduce workers’ attention span, increasing the risk of accidents. It is crucial that each municipality in the province issue specific ordinances to prohibit work activities exposed to thermal risk during the hottest hours of the day, as already done by several Sicilian municipalities in 2023.”