Météo France predicts very hot weather this week. The health authorities reiterate the prevention advice, in particular for exposed workers.
With 30° in Ile-de-France and 31° in Burgundy, Wednesday was particularly hot. And Météo France is indeed forecasting an episode of strong heat in 16 metropolitan departments (Corrèze, Dordogne, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Lot-et-Garonne, Deux-Sèvres, Vienne, Haute-Vienne, Charente, Charente-Maritime, Landes, Gironde , Rhône, Vendée, Gers, Lot and Tarn-et-Garonne) for the next few days.
In this context, the Directorate General for Health (DGS) and the Directorate General for Labor (DGT) recall in a press release prevention advice, in particular for the most vulnerable people and workers exposed to heat.
Provide the necessary equipment
For example, if you know isolated elderly, disabled or fragile people, the ministry indicates: “encourage them to register on the list made available to them by each town hall, in order to receive help from volunteers”. And during all this heat wave, “check in on them regularly,” he recalls.
In addition, it is also advisable for these fragile people, in connection with those around them, to provide the necessary equipment to fight against the heat (fogger, fan for example). Making a list of air-conditioned places where to cool off (supermarkets, shops, cinemas, museums, etc.) is also recommended by the DGS and the DGT.
Doctor’s advice
Finally, these directions provide a reminder of the simple advice to adopt in order to best fight against the consequences of the heat: drink water regularly without waiting to feel thirsty; refresh the body several times a day; eat enough and do not drink alcohol ; avoid physical exertion…
And in any situation, the ministry writes that you should not hesitate to seek advice from your attending physician, “especially in the event of a health problem or regular drug treatment (adjustment of doses for example)”.
Workers exposed to heat
The DGT also recalls that employers are required (1) take measures to ensure the safety and protect the health of workers in their establishments. In periods of high heat, it is therefore their responsibility to organize the activity accordingly (adjustment of working hours, limitation or postponement of activities likely to have a deleterious effect on the health of their workers: load carrying, exposure to the sun during the hottest hours, etc.). They must, in particular and imperatively, make sufficient fresh drinking water available to workers.
For his part, the worker is entitled to alert his employer or any other competent person (staff representatives, prevention officers, occupational health service, labor inspectorate, etc.) if he feels that the measures required were not taken and that his health is in danger. He can even, and under certain conditions, exercise his right of withdrawal.
(1) Articles L. 4121-1 and following and Articles R. 4121-1 and following of the Labor Code
(2) Article D. 4153-36 of the labor code
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