[FR] How can you equip your company to cope with heatwaves at work?

The mercury is rising, the heat is intensifying, and exertion is becoming more complicated: there’s no doubt about it, summer is here – and with it, the heatwave that makes work harder.

As an employer, your role is to help your employees cope with the summer in the best possible conditions, whatever their job.

Take a moment here to discover 8 keys to making the heatwave at work more bearable, and ensuring that your employees are comfortable and perform well.

Heatwave and the workplace: what does French law say?

Although French law does not specifically regulate heatwaves in the workplace, the Labour Code does contain provisions on the health and safety of employees during heatwaves.

As an employer, you must :

• Assess the risks associated with heatwaves in your company. Article R4121-1 stipulates: “The employer shall transcribe and update in a single document the results of the assessment of the risks to the health and safety of workers […] This assessment shall include an inventory of the risks identified in each work unit of the company or establishment, including those related to thermal environments“.
• Equip your premises to enable employees to withstand the heat. Article R4213-7 states: “The equipment and characteristics of the work premises are designed to allow the temperature to be adapted to the human body during working time, taking into account the working methods and physical stresses borne by the workers.”
• Ventilate your premises properly. Article R4222-1 stipulates: “In enclosed premises where workers are required to stay, the air is renewed in such a way as to […] avoid excessive rises in temperature“.
• Ensuring employees are hydrated. Article R4225-2 says: “The employer shall make fresh drinking water available to workers for drinking.“

In short, as soon as the outside heat rises, you need to be ready to react to provide suitable working conditions for your employees.

8 best practices to make the heatwave more bearable in your company

How can you ensure that your employees don’t suffer from heatstroke when the high temperatures arrive? Here are 8 essential tips for making heatwaves more bearable in the workplace.

1. Adapt your working hours, or even the way you work

The first best practice is probably the one that will best protect your employees from the intense heat:adapting your company’s working hours if possible. The idea is simple: start work earlier to take advantage of the coolest times of the day.

If your employees’ work schedules allow it, you can also suggest that, as soon as Météo France announces a heatwave, they switch to teleworking. Since the health crisis, this way of working has become widespread enough for your company to be prepared for it.

2. Limit the pace of work in warehouses

As you know, logistics jobs are extremely demanding – and the heat is getting worse! Hence the need to review the pace of work in your warehouses in the event of a heatwave.

At the same time, consider equipping your warehouses with equipment that will reduce the physical strain on your operators. This obviously includes handling equipment(forklift trucks, trolleys, hand trucks, etc.), but also packaging machines such as wrapping machines, which significantly reduce the physical strain of certain tasks.

3. Make fresh water available

When it’s hot at work, thirst must be one of the enemies you fight hardest. To keep your employees comfortable, make sure they have access to fresh water, via water coolers for example.

To do this:

• Install a water cooler in a common area.
• Place glasses or paper cups nearby, or even on the desks themselves, to encourage your staff to stay properly hydrated.

4. Increase the frequency of breaks

In the logistics sector, warehouses have already introduced a set frequency of breaks to allow operators to unwind. In hot weather, it is crucial toincrease the frequency of these breaks and to extend the concept of compulsory breaks to all employees.

In this way, they can hydrate, get some fresh air, or cool off in one of the coolest areas of your premises. Make sure you provide them with pleasant breakareas that are conducive to relaxation and refreshment.

5. Switch off unnecessary electrical appliances

Electrical and electronic equipment such as computers, printers and scanners can quickly raise the temperature in your premises. Make sure that these machines are only switched on when they are needed. You’ll not only have a cooler office, but you’ll also save energy!

6. Change the air frequently

During heatwaves, it’s crucial to renew the air in enclosed spaces. To do this, air out your workspaces when the air is still cool (in the morning), then close the windows at the hottest times of the day to prevent the heat from coming back in.

You can also install equipment in your premises or warehouse to encourage the circulation of fresh air:

• A fan, which renews the air, but is less effective than a humidifier or air conditioner in making the air more breathable in very hot weather.
• A humidifier, which diffuses air cooled by water.
• A mobile air conditioner, if your budget allows: this is the most refreshing solution.
• Individual misters, to be placed on desks.

7. Keep as cool as possible indoors

Renewing the air in your premises is all very well – but keeping it cool indoors afterwards is much better! Make sure you keep blinds down or curtains closed as much as possible, to prevent heat from reverberating inside.

There is also equipment specifically designed to limit the effects of heatwaves at work:

• Indoor or outdoor blinds to prevent light from reflecting back into the premises
• Anti-UV film for windows
• Thermal curtains, specifically designed to keep the interior cool

8. Informing employees about the right ways to beat the heat

The final best practice, which is crucial to ensuring that the heatwave does not have too great an impact on employees’ work and well-being, is to disseminate these good practices throughout the company.

Use specific posters on your premises and in your in-house newsletter to remind them to drink regularly, ventilate as much as possible, open or close windows at the right time, take breaks, etc.

By following these best practices, you’ll be ready to face the heatwave in your business premises, and ensure the best possible quality of working life for your employees during these hot periods.

Are you planning to purchase a stretch-wrapping machine to help your operators reduce the effort required to wrap your pallets? There are financial incentives available to help you do just that: check them out in our dedicated guide!