Prohibited to work at times of high temperatures: measures region by region

Rain and heat claimed two lives yesterday in Italy. In the Turin area, a 70-year-old man drowned in the flooded Frejus river, in the Bologna area, a 47-year-old man fell victim to an illness at a building site. Today there is a yellow alert for bad weather in Emilia Romagna, Lombardy and Veneto. Campobasso joins the 17 red dot cities today. After Latium, numerous regions have decided to call a halt to work activities during the hottest hours.

In Lombardy, from 2 July to 15 September, it will be forbidden to work outdoors between 12:30 and 16:00 in construction areas, quarries, farms and floriculture, limited to the days on which a 'high' risk level will be indicated (on the daily map on the 'www.worklimate.it/scelta-mappa/sole-attivita-fisica-alta/' website). This is laid down in an ordinance issued by the President of the Region, Attilio Fontana, after a meeting with the trade unions and employers' organisations convened by the Councillor for Welfare, Guido Bertolaso.

Stopping activities in some production sectors during the hottest hours on days and in areas at high risk due to high temperatures. This is the provision of an order signed today by the President of the Sicilian Region, Renato Schifani, which will remain in force until 31 August. The ban concerns agricultural, floricultural, construction (and related) companies and quarries. The stop will be triggered from 12.30 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the areas and on the days when a high risk level is indicated on the 'Worker in the sun and intense physical activity' map available on Inail's Worklimate 2.0 project website. "We wanted to propose the ordinance again this year," explains President Schifani, "because we cannot remain indifferent to the extreme risks caused by the heat, especially for those who work outdoors and without protection. This measure is an act of civilisation and respect towards workers in order to protect them and prevent announced tragedies. It is a concrete measure, based on scientific data, that requires maximum cooperation from companies and employers. Safety cannot and must never be considered an optional extra'.

Until 31 August 2025, throughout the regional territory of Tuscany, on days classified with a high heat stress risk level in the Worklimate map (www.worklimate.it), a ban on work between 12:30 and 16:00 will be in force for those who carry out intense physical activity with prolonged exposure to the sun's rays. This was established by the President of the Region of Tuscany, Eugenio Giani, who signed an ordinance on hygiene and public health to reiterate the need to protect workers exposed to the risk of heat, i.e. the consequences of high temperatures and prolonged exposure to the sun. The ordinance is valid immediately and failure to comply with it will result in sanctions.

To protect workers exposed to the sun in conditions of intense physical activity, the Abruzzo Region's Department of Productive Activities has prepared a new ordinance signed by the President of the Region of Abruzzo, Marco Marsilio, to deal with the heat emergency. The measure establishes, throughout the region, a ban on working in conditions of prolonged exposure to the sun, from 12.30 to 16.00, until 31 August 2025, in the following sectors: agriculture and floriculture, construction sites and related activities. "This is an important measure," said Councillor Tiziana Magnacca, "to guarantee the health and safety of workers most exposed to the consequences of high temperatures. Already last year, following discussions with the regional trade unions, President Marsilio had adopted a similar ordinance, which applied only on days when the www.worklimate.it site indicated a 'high' level of risk for workers subjected to intense physical activity in the sun". This is without prejudice to any union measures at municipal level, as long as they do not conflict with the ordinance and the obligations of employers in terms of health and safety. The ordinance does not apply to public administrations, public service concessionaires and their contractors when the activity is related to public utility, civil protection or public safety interventions. In any case, there is an obligation to adopt appropriate organisational and operational measures to contain the risks associated with exposure to heat within acceptable levels..