From noon each day, so-called very heavy construction work is prohibited in Geneva: for example, roofing, where workers are even more exposed to the sun.
Heavy work such as pushing carts or digging holes by hand is meanwhile prohibited from 2pm onwards. This was decided by Geneva labour authorities based on a new regulation in force since June. The fact that some work on Geneva construction sites may only be done until noon is a first. The measure could still apply until Sunday.
These new rules have been worked out without the construction industry in the canton of Geneva, says Eric Biesel from the cantonal section of the Swiss builders’ federation: he says that the rules are difficult to apply because it is not clearly regulated what is prohibited from when.
Above all, however, cantonal differences pose problems for construction companies – for example, when a company is active both in Geneva and neighbouring Vaud, says Biesel. Companies do not understand that they are being treated differently in different cantons. After all, the temperature and humidity are the same in both cantons. It is complicated to adapt to different rules at a distance of 20 kilometres.
If something is to be regulated because of the heat, then do it at the federal level through the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco), says Biesel. The canton of Geneva has not commented on the new heat rules.
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Geneva is not the only canton where work on construction sites ends earlier: in Ticino, work is only done until 3pm when a heat warning level 4 is in effect. In the southern canton, however, construction workers are allowed to start as early as 6am. The Ticino rules stem from a new collective labour agreement.
At the national level, the Unia trade union demanded last week that work be stopped on construction sites when it is too hot. The Swiss builders’ federation had always opposed additional regulations for construction.
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