[ad_1]
Due to the heat wave, the University of Ghent on Monday authorized its 13,652 workers to work only six hours a day. If all employers are not obliged to go so far, all are required to provide in advance measures to be applied to protect their staff in case of particularly low or high temperatures, says Monday Lieve Ponnet, general counselor at the FPS Employment
The regulations on this subject are rather general, but each company must carry out a risk badysis of the thermal environment in the workplace and determine preventive measures, in consultation with its Committee for Prevention and Protection. at work
Beverages, ventilation and headgear
Where, for weather reasons, the temperature to which workers are exposed exceeds a certain threshold, the employer shall provide free refreshing drinks, install 48 hours an artificial ventilation device in the premises and, where appropriate, protect the personnel e solar radiation (headgear, …).
If excessive heat persists for more than 48 hours, the employer must also grant rest periods.
Temperatures from which measurements must be taken to be taken depend on the physical workload, more or less heavy. They are not calculated in degrees Celsius but in WBGT (Wet Bulb Globe Temperature), an index that takes into account the humidity level.
For a light load, like a secretarial work, the employer must act from of 29 WBGT. For heavy work, such as deep digging, this is already the case from 18 WBGT.
A tip for many employers who do not have an appropriate thermometer: the FPS Employment provides a table that allows us to estimate the WBGT index based on the air temperature and the percentage of humidity, Ponnet emphasizes. If it is 28 degrees with 50% humidity, for example, the WBGT is 23.
[ad_2]
Source link
