Tragic but unfortunately not surprising: the heat peaks of recent weeks have probably led to excess mortality in France, according to Santé Publique France, which estimates it at + 20% for the month of July 2022 alone.
Thus, this Thursday, August 18, 2022, “two fatal occupational accidents possibly linked to the heat were notified to Public Health France by the Directorate General for Labor: one observed during the July heat wave, and one during this new heat wavein early August, the public health agency said in its latest report.
People who work in warehouses and agricultural workers particularly at risk
In total, since the beginning of the summer, 6 people have died at work according to the authorities. Public Health France did not give more details as to the nature of these deaths, their precise date or the identity of the victims.
The high temperatures and the heat wave have also killed workers in other European countries, in particular in Spain and Italy: deaths have been noted in particular among people working in warehouses or in agricultural environments.
During a heat wave, employers are “required to put in place an organization and means adapted to situations of exposure to episodes of extreme heat“remind him Ministry of Labour. In particular, they mustmake fresh water available to employees free of charge, close to the workplace and in sufficient quantity (…), set up proper ventilation of the work premises and comply with the regulations (…) and provide employees with means of protection against high heat and/or cooling“.
