They are investigating whether the death of a Barcelona cleaning service worker was due to heat.
The worker died this Saturday at her home after completing the afternoon shift.
BarcelonaThey are investigating whether the death of a Barcelona City Council cleaning service worker could have been the result of heat exhaustion. According to sources from the UGT union, the woman was struck down at home as she was going to dinner after completing her afternoon shift. Given that yesterday was the first day of the heat wave and temperatures were very high outside in the Catalan capital, the union is pointing to the possibility that heat exhaustion could have been the cause of death. However, the same sources admit that they do not know if the woman had any pre-existing conditions or if the death is related to any other cause.
For this reason, they are calling for an autopsy to clarify the reasons for the worker's death. However, the union has issued a statement to the workforce reminding them of the need to exercise extreme caution and follow the heat protocol in light of the high temperatures in the city. In statements to Efe, the Secretary of Community Services for UGT Catalunya, Lluís Lampurdanes, explained that the woman, in her 50s, carried out her work shift "normally" yesterday, Saturday, from 2:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., in her assigned area in the Ciutat Vella district.
The company FCC, awarded the cleaning service by Barcelona City Council, issued a statement this afternoon conveying its condolences to the family and those closest to the victim, but emphasizing that the cause of death has not yet been established. "The worker finished her workday normally and left the workplace during her regular hours and without any hint of concern," they stated, emphasizing that the death occurred outside of working hours and on company premises. However, the company is available to the authorities to provide any additional information, if applicable.
Sources from Barcelona City Council indicate that the causes of death, which are currently unknown, are being investigated. The same sources lamented the death of the cleaning services worker and offered their condolences to her family. Political groups have also expressed their condolences to the worker and requested clarification of the cause of death. From Junts per Barcelona, its leader, Jordi Martí i Galbis, has offered his condolences to the woman's family and all the municipal cleaning service workers, and has defended that "all necessary measures must be taken to ensure her safety."
On behalf of the Comuneros (Commons), the group's president, Janet Sanz, offered her condolences to the worker's family and colleagues and demanded clarification of the cause of death. "If it was heat stroke at work, accountability and measures are necessary to prevent it from happening again. Occupational health and safety are a non-negotiable priority," she argued.
Without waiting for the results of the autopsy, the leader of the People's Party (PP) in the city council, Daniel Sirera, stated that "everything points" to heat stroke as the main cause of death, and warned that the city cannot allow "those who work hard to protect it to not receive the protection they deserve."
