Spain says it plans to ban outdoor work during periods of extreme heat.
Second Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Díaz told reporters on Wednesday that the government will modify legislation covering occupational risks to prohibit outdoor work when the state weather agency, AEMET, issues red or orange alerts.
The agency frequently issues such alerts when temperature increases pose a risk for citizens outdoors or for the environment.
2022 was Spain’s hottest year since record-keeping started in 1961, and last month was the hottest and driest April on record. Much of the country is currently experiencing a drought, and water reserves are below 50%.
Díaz said that the modifications would be announced by Spain’s cabinet, but gave no further details. Díaz, currently the labour minister, recently launched a new left-leaning political movement ahead of the country’s next general election expected in late 2023. ALSO READ: Spain’s labour minister Yolanda Díaz launches new political movement, ‘Sumar’.
The government was due to hold a special cabinet meeting on drought measures on Thursday. It wasn’t immediately clear how the measure announced by Díaz would apply to workers such as farmers, farmhands, police, firefighters, gardeners or cleaners.
In places accustomed to high temperatures, such as Spain’s southern Andalusia region, construction workers already work only morning hours during the summer. A temporary street cleaner died of a heat stroke while working in Madrid last year.
ALSO READ: Guardia Civil arrest 26 people after raiding illegal wells, amid drought.
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