Companies face fines of up to 980,000 euros if they fail to ensure workplace safety in the heat.

MadridHigh temperatures and heat waves are added risk factors for many workers who are exposed, whether outdoors or indoors. Furthermore, these phenomena are becoming more frequent and intense due to the climate emergency. This increases the possibility of a worker suffering a work-related accident or of a pre-existing condition worsening. Cristina Fernández, General of the Labor and Social Security Inspectorate (ITSS), spoke at a press conference this Wednesday. According to union data, work-related accidents due to heat stroke, heatstroke, or extreme temperatures affected 224 people in 2024.

These letters remind companies of the high temperatures and also remind them of the violations they face if they do not comply with the regulations. Very serious violation. While fines related to these incidents were imposed in 2021 for a total of €175,000, in 2024 they increased to €1.4 million.

Communication, i.e., sending letters, is just one of the means used by the Labor Inspectorate to warn companies about the penalties they face if they fail to ensure worker safety and prevention during high temperatures. The agency also monitors and controls in situ some companies.

"The data is clear: in 2021, 704 actions were taken, and in 2024, more than 11,500. The number of violations has increased from 57 to 275, and the number of requests from 401 to 4,175. Today, we are more vigilant and better protecting Yolanda during the vice president's presentation of the summer campaign.

Finally, the Minister of Labor has urged companies to use weather permits in situations of risk due to high temperatures. These permits provide paid leave of up to four days for the inability to access the treall site due to a serious and imminent risk resulting from an adverse weather event, such as a heat wave. "These weather permits are a further step in protecting labor rights in the face of climate change," Díaz asserted.