SPAIN’S government has announced plans to ban outdoor working during periods of extremely high temperatures.
The proposal was teased to journalist by Labour Minister, Yolanda Diaz, on Wednesday, with the Council of Ministers meeting this Thursday morning to discuss drought measures.
The country has technically been in a drought since the late autumn with record-high temperatures and minimal rainfall- if any at all.
Unwanted records are being broken with last month the hottest ever April since modern records began in 1961- something that also applied to the summer of 2022.
With forecasters predicting another very hot summer, Diaz said that the government will change laws over occupational risks to stop elements of outdoor working when the State Meteorological Agency(Aemet) issues a red or orange temperature alert.
There were plenty of those last summer, but some outdoor professions like construction tend to lay down tools every July and August.
Díaz said changes to the law would by announced by the Council of Ministers but would not specify any further details.
How wide ranging the measure will be is unclear and which groups be covered under the legislation, be it farmers, farm labourers, police, fire crews, gardeners or cleaners.
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