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The heat wave settles in France and has consequences on the working conditions. Twenty departments are placed in vigilance red heat wave and sixty in alert orange.
With the heat wave, several economic sectors are organizing. Companies must meet obligations to protect their employees, but the laws are unclear. According to the Labor Code, employers must take into consideration the " thermal environment " when assessing the risks to the health of workers. As for the heat wave plan , the safety and health protection of employees must be ensured by "taking into account in particular climatic conditions".
Since no temperature threshold is set, it is up to companies to judge the tolerable limits. On the other hand, the National Health Insurance Fund for Salaried Workers (CNAMTS) recommends evacuating offices from an indoor temperature of 34 ° C.
Employers are also obliged to provide fresh water and protection against "weather conditions", but air conditioning is not mandatory.
Employees may use their right of withdrawal if they feel they are in "serious and imminent danger" or if they notice a defect "in protective systems". Some adjustments are possible, such as telework, especially for employees who live far from their place of work.
@ meteofrance announced this Wednesday the #VigilanceRouge for 20 departments. Faced with this unprecedented alert, everyone must feel concerned. Protect the most fragile, and adopt the right reflexes 👇https: //t.co/2HbuW3IhYm
Government (@governmentEN) July 24, 2019Special provisions for construction workers
Building employees are in the front line, so companies in the sector must follow additional rules. They must provide at least three liters of water per day per worker. They are also required to provide space to accommodate employees or site facilities to protect them from heat.
It is recommended to shift work schedules so that the heaviest tasks are performed during the warmest hours and to provide handling aids, and to ensure vigilance between the teams.
SNCF and RATP alert
Public transport is also overheated and to cope with it, SNCF and RATP are mobilizing. Firstly, the SNCF has put in place a "hot weather" plan.
The electric cables are loosened due to high temperatures. To counter this phenomenon, tensioners equipped with weights are installed.
Trains are also slowed to avoid accidents, because above 45 ° C, the rails can expand. Finally, maintenance agents regularly walk around to identify failures. For users, water bottles and lunch boxes are provided in case of disturbances.
As it did in June, the SNCF invites travelers to postpone their trip because of the " risk of incidents on the traffic ". It undertakes to exchange or refund the TGV and Intercités tickets free of charge until Thursday evening.
On the RATP side, similar measures are taken with daily monitoring of infrastructure. Bottles of water and fans are distributed in some Parisian stations.
Nuclear power in difficulty
The nuclear industry is also affected by this heat wave. EDF shut down the two reactors at the Golfech power plant in Tarn-et-Garonne. They should be restarted next Tuesday depending on the weather conditions.
The reason for this shutdown is simple, the plant uses river water to cool the reactors before rejecting them. To avoid consequences on aquatic fauna and flora, the water must not exceed 28 ° C. The production will be sufficient for the supply of electricity, according to RTA, the manager of the high voltage network.
Finally, the heat wave premium for hospital staff, demanded by the FO union of public and health services, is ruled out. For the union, agents are facing heat and increased workload.
The Minister of Health does not agree. According to Agnès Buzyn, " emergencies are not overwhelmed " because of the heat wave.