The government approved new steps to address global warming and drought during an extraordinary Cabinet session this Thursday. At the core, the plan strengthens workplace obligations for preventing heat-related hazards. Companies are urged to update and adapt their risk assessments to explicitly cover peak heat periods and outline how they should respond before and during heat events to protect worker health. In some cases, activity may need to pause.
In practical terms, firms will decide which activities are restricted during heatwaves. The government will pursue accountability if those decisions occur within or affect standard work hours and temperatures lead to an incident related to heat. When conditions are extreme, the State Meteorological Service (AEMET) will trigger orange or red alerts; outdoor work can be banned if companies determine that their preventive measures do not fully safeguard workers. If, however, adjustments to the workday can lower risk, a full suspension may not be required.
Today, every company is required to maintain an occupational risk prevention plan, which must include an assessment of hazards specific to its operations. This includes risks such as falls from height, material rupture, or dust toxicity, along with all other identifiable hazards. Temperature, whether outdoor or indoor, is a recognized risk in many activities.
When AEMET raises an orange or red alert, outdoor work becomes prohibited unless affected companies prove that their preventive measures already in place adequately shield workers. If they can shorten or reorganize the workday to reduce exposure, a suspension may be avoided.
Currently, a formal risk prevention plan is required from every company, detailing the specific hazards associated with its activities. In practice, some plans reference risks such as falls, material hazards, or dust toxicity, and they must anticipate all identifiable risks. Temperature is often a factor in both outdoor and indoor settings.
When AEMET raises an orange or red alert, the Government will prohibit working outdoors.
Which sectors and activities will be affected?
Some sectors face higher exposure than others, regardless of whether work occurs indoors or outdoors. For example, cold exposure in confined spaces and cold rooms requires careful management, including mandated rest breaks to avoid prolonged cold exposure.
Regarding heat, kitchens can reach high temperatures affecting staff health, and roughly half of restaurants may confront heat-related risks. Outdoors, high-risk situations often involve construction, structural work, and large public events such as concerts or performances.
All businesses should revise their risk prevention plans to recognize this new risk and the corresponding response. In many cases, these plans are prepared by specialist firms, with Generalitat data indicating that a majority of Catalan companies outsource this work.
When will the activity be banned?
The government requires clear risk disclosures from companies, but the criteria for stopping work during extreme temperatures are the same: does the condition pose a serious and imminent threat to workers’ health? Who decides what qualifies as serious and imminent is typically the company itself, through its occupational health managers and often linked to human resources.
In large organizations, union delegates with expertise in occupational health may alert the company and even halt operations if a major risk is detected. SMEs, however, may lack this structure, leaving the decision to cease operations primarily to the company itself.
Companies should update prevention plans to include responses when the State Meteorological Service warns of orange or red alerts. The government does not specify exact steps to stop activity or other preventive measures.
At what temperature is it forbidden to work?
There is no single temperature that mandates stopping work. No law sets a universal prohibition at a fixed degree. Thermal stress depends on multiple factors, including humidity, shade, and the work environment. A temperature of 40 degrees in shade with dry air is not the same as 30 degrees in direct sun with high humidity. Clothing, rest breaks, and access to water all influence risk.
Prevention plans should detail risks and the approach to addressing them. In many cases, these plans are developed by external specialists who oversee a small roster of workers each year.
What should happen if a company decides not to stop operations?
If a worker experiences fatigue, headache, or muscle cramps, they should pause work to recover. These are common symptoms related to heat exposure when body temperature rises. In such cases, the worker should notify a colleague to contact medical services or the company’s health team.
Every employee has the right to report concerns to labor inspectors who can assess whether a clear risk exists.