• Ordinances in 13 regions and several cities to halt roadwork during the hottest hours.
• The reference point for risk assessment is the Worklimate project by Inail and Cnr.
• The Ministry of Labour signs a protocol on extreme weather conditions with trade unions.

Updated 3 July 2025
The Ministry of Labour and Social Policy has signed, together with the major trade unions, a framework protocol on extreme weather conditions, which defines shared measures to protect the health and safety of workers exposed to the effects of climate change, and excessive heat in particular. The protocol — which must now be signed by all employers' organisations — requires that employers use official weather bulletins to adopt timely preventive measures, that risk assessments include microclimate conditions and are kept up to date, and that sectoral, territorial and company-level agreements be promoted with trade unions and employers' bodies to regulate shifts, working hours, training and health monitoring. The protocol also provides for recourse to social safety nets, such as short-time working schemes, in the event of activity suspensions, and for the possibility of incentives for virtuous companies. For Minister Marina Elvira Calderone, the protocol "aims to prevent occupational accidents and diseases linked to extreme climate conditions. The goal is to reconcile the continuation of productive activities with the guarantee of healthy and safe working environments and working practices."

Ministero Lavoro ✓ @MinLavoro

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Firmato il protocollo quadro per le emergenze climatiche.

Maggiori informazioni su lavoro.gov.it/stampa-e-media…

♥ 2 2 lug 2025 · Apri su X →

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Italy is in the grip of a heatwave hovering between the exceptional and the increasingly structural, sweeping across much of the country with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees in many areas. Faced with this climate emergency, several regions (officially 13 at present) and cities have decided to adopt extraordinary measures to protect public health: chief among them, the suspension of outdoor work during the hottest hours of the day and the closure of museums and other non-air-conditioned public spaces. A kind of institutionalised "siesta" — the controra, historically devoted to rest during the hottest hours of summer afternoons. Measures against the record heat have so far been adopted, in no particular order, by Lombardia, Abruzzo, Emilia-Romagna, Sardegna, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Lazio, Liguria, Puglia, Sardegna, Sicilia and Toscana. In more or less all of the regions, with minor differences, it has been established that throughout the summer, on days when an orange or red alert for high temperatures is in force, outdoor work in construction and agriculture will be halted from 12:30 to 16:00. The measure will apply on the days and in the areas where the national online risk maps indicate a high level of risk: the reference point for risk assessment is the Worklimate project run by Inail and Cnr, which makes real-time forecasts of 'occupational heat exposure risk' available online.

Inail @inail_gov

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Oltre il 70% della forza lavoro globale sarà probabilmente esposto ai #rischi per la salute legati ai cambiamenti climatici. A lanciare l'allarme è l'@ilo con il rapporto "Garantire la sicurezza e la salute sul lavoro in un clima che cambia".
🌍tinyurl.com/55kxt4vn

♥ 10 24 apr 2024 · Apri su X →

No outdoor work on construction sites, in agriculture and other sectors

It was Emilia-Romagna that blazed the trail for the institutional "siesta" with an ordinance that has been welcomed by the relevant trade unions, long engaged in calling for concrete protections for workers exposed to the sun. The president of the Regione Toscana, Eugenio Giani, recalled that "prolonged heat stress and heatstroke can even have fatal outcomes, and it is necessary to address this issue taking into account rising temperatures and the ongoing climate changes." The ordinances issued seek to protect all those working in sectors such as agriculture and horticulture, on open-air construction sites, in quarries, or in any situation involving prolonged exposure to the sun, while the prohibition set out in the ordinance does not apply to public administrations, public service concession holders, their contractors, or to public utility works, civil protection activities, or interventions to safeguard public safety. The ordinance issued by Regione Lombardia moves in the same direction, extending the restrictions to cover activities "taking place in enclosed, non-air-conditioned spaces" in addition to outdoor work. Outdoor work is also halted during the hottest hours in Lazio, where president Francesco Rocca, former head of the Croce Rossa, warns that "climate change is making heat peaks increasingly frequent and intense: we cannot afford to underestimate its effects."

Regione Lombardia ✓ @RegLombardia

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In considerazione delle prolungate ondate di calore il Presidente di Regione Lombardia, Attilio Fontana, ha firmato l'ordinanza n.348 del 1 luglio 2025 per tutelare la salute e la sicurezza dei lavoratori esposti alle alte temperature. Maggiori info su 👇reglomb.it/yj4P50WiZzt

♥ 8💬 4 1 lug 2025 · Apri su X →

Meanwhile, the Cgil, Cisl and Uil trade union confederations are calling on the government to introduce a national regulation providing for a mandatory halt to outdoor work in extreme weather conditions. Inail has published a guide with practical guidance on preventing heatstroke and has pointed out that exposure to high temperatures can be the cause of workplace accidents, with legal consequences for employers. The heatwave — which according to meteorologists could continue until at least next weekend — undoubtedly highlights with some urgency the need for clear, uniform protocols at national level, in a country where the effects of the climate crisis are now increasingly apparent.

Museums stormed as climate refuges

Meanwhile, in cities where asphalt contributes to making the climate even hotter, museums, libraries and other indoor public spaces are increasingly becoming true climate refuges, and in these days museums above all are being stormed by tourists and residents alike, not only for the wonders they house but also for the welcome shelter from the sun they provide. But the numerous archaeological parks in our art cities are also suffering from the exceptional temperatures: in view of the high temperatures forecast over the coming days and in order to protect public health, for example, the Parco archeologico di Venosa, in Basilicata, will be closed to the public every day from 11am to 4pm. In Rome, meanwhile, the Parco archeologico del Colosseo – which includes the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill – has activated a medical assistance service, dedicated to visitors and workers and designed to provide immediate healthcare throughout the entire opening hours.