The Labor Inspectorate of the Basque Country has sent communications to 3,063 Basque companies to alert them about the risks to worker safety and health arising from heatwaves and high temperatures recently recorded in Euskadi. This initiative is part of the Summer Plan, promoted by the Department of Economy, Labor, and Employment of the Basque Government, aiming to prevent illnesses and work accidents linked to extreme temperature exposure.
With the arrival of summer, occupational risks associated with prolonged heat exposure increase, particularly in outdoor activities or workplaces with high temperatures. These conditions heighten heat stress and can lead to severe health consequences, including heatstroke, dehydration, and, in extreme cases, death.
The rise in these risks is closely tied to the intensification of climate change, the effects of which are already noticeable in Euskadi, with more frequent and intense heatwaves. In response, the Basque Government's Labor Inspectorate has been implementing a proactive plan since 2022 at the start of each summer period, sending mass preventive communications to companies potentially exposed.
This year, electronic communications have been sent to 551 companies in Araba, 1,576 in Bizkaia, and 936 in Gipuzkoa. These messages remind companies of their legal obligation to ensure worker safety and health in all aspects related to working conditions, as stipulated by the Law on Prevention of Occupational Risks.
Furthermore, the importance of specifically assessing risks from extreme thermohygrometric conditions and planning appropriate prevention and protection measures is emphasized. These measures include reorganizing work schedules to avoid peak exposure hours, increasing breaks and rest periods, ensuring access to potable water, providing shaded or cooled areas, and offering specific monitoring for vulnerable individuals.
The Department of Economy, Labor, and Employment also reminds that Osalan provides specific materials on heat stress for companies and workers, including practical recommendations and educational resources.
“"Prevention is not an option; it is an ethical, social, and legal obligation. Defending quality employment means guaranteeing safe, dignified, and decent work under any circumstances, including in the face of increasingly extreme and frequent climate phenomena."
“"No one should lose their life earning a living. That principle guides our political action and also the work of the Labor Inspectorate. We want competitive companies, but always compatible with the effective protection of the health and lives of those who work."
The communications also recall that failure to comply with the duty of protection against these risks can constitute serious or very serious infringements of occupational safety and health regulations, potentially leading to fines ranging from 2,451 to 49,180 euros for serious offenses, and 49,181 to 983,736 euros for very serious ones.
Through this campaign, the Basque Government reaffirms its commitment to a robust preventive culture and a labor market based on employment quality, work dignity, and comprehensive worker protection.
