Swiss building sites ‘ignore heatwave breaks’: trade union

Heatwave: Unia condemns failure to comply with measures on construction sites Keystone-SDA

Eight out of ten Swiss construction sites fail to adopt regular heatwave breaks when temperatures reach 33°C, according to trade union Unia.

In July, Unia surveyed 984 construction workers from all regions of Switzerland on the implementation of heat protection measures.

According to the results, only 18% of those surveyed are consistently given the 15-minute breaks per hour required when temperatures reach 33 degrees Celcius. Some 67% of respondents said breaks are never granted and 15% only ‘sometimes’.

The situation is hardly any better when it comes to rest areas. A third of workers surveyed said they consistently had a cool place to take their breaks. A quarter do not, and 43% only occasionally.

More than two-thirds stated that working hours have not been changed to avoid the hottest part of the day. According to Unia, the vast majority of workers continue to work throughout the day even when the thermometer reaches 39 degrees.

Health issues

“The question is not whether working in extreme heat is tiring or unpleasant: it is health and safety at work that are at stake,” Unia stated.

Some 15% of those surveyed said they had themselves suffered a health incident during the heatwave or had seen a colleague suffer one.

Citing health insurer Suva, the trade union adds that this risk increases by a further 7% when the temperature exceeds 30 degrees.

Unia complained of a lack of effective checks and the absence of sanctions in the event of breaches. “At present, there is a genuine state of emergency when it comes to enforcing the law.”

Stricter safeguards

It is now calling for a 33-degree limit to be included in the Construction Work Ordinance. Strenuous physical work outdoors should be suspended once this temperature is reached, unless a 15-minute break per hour in an air-conditioned area can be guaranteed. These breaks should be counted as working time.

The trade union is also calling on Suva to step up inspections, or by other bodies, such as cantons.

Unia wants parliament to pass a motion to allow construction deadlines to be extended without penalties during heatwaves. The compensation scheme for adverse weather conditions should also be adapted to cover work stoppages caused by extreme heat.

Until there is federal regulation, Unia wants cantons and local authorities to make use of their discretion to impose local working conditions.

+ How we produce news in English
Translated from French, reviewed by an English Department journalist.