Torrid heat and work: unions meet the Ticino Government for new measures (cross-border guide)

Context

In a nutshell

• Over 100 admissions to the emergency room due to the effects of heat on workers
• UNIA, OCST, USS and VPOD trade unions meet Ticino State Council
• Government opens to new measures after meeting on the risks of the heatwave
• Discussion of the Valais model with scientific thresholds for professional sectors

Key facts

• What: Meeting between trade unions and the Council of State on the conditions of workers during the cannibal waves
• When: Today (date not specified in source)
• Where: Ticino
• Who: Representatives of the UNIA, OCST, USS and VPOD trade unions and delegation of the Council of State (Marina Carobbio Guscetti, Christian Vitta, Raffaele De Rosa)
• Amount: More than one hundred admissions to the emergency room and dozens of unsustainable situations reported

After reporting the numerous problematic situations observed on construction sites and in kitchen work during the heatwaves, representatives of the UNIA, OCST, USS and VPOD trade unions met today with a delegation from the Ticino State Council to discuss the conditions of workers during prolonged exposures to the torrid heat. Giangiorgio Gargantini, regional secretary of UNIA, explained that they once again highlighted the need to have concrete and effective measures, inspired by the model adopted by the Canton of Valais, where intervention thresholds were determined based on scientific indices, different for different professional realities. Evaristo Roncelli, OCST project manager,

Operational details

In a nutshell

• Need for differentiated intervention thresholds by professional sector
• Valais model as a reference with scientific indexes to determine limits
• Involvement of Municipalities for revision of work start times
• Recognition of the problem as a public health issue, not just an occupational one

Key facts

• What: Discussion on concrete measures to protect workers from extreme heat
• When: Meeting held today (date not specified)
• Where: Ticino, with reference to the model of the Canton of Valais
• Who: Trade unions (UNIA, OCST, USS, VPOD) and representatives of the Council of State
• Amount: Over one hundred admissions to the emergency room attributed to the effects of the heat

The approach proposed by the unions is based on the adoption of differentiated intervention thresholds, as already implemented in the Valais Canton, where scientific indices are used to establish limits beyond which protection obligations are triggered, variable depending on the type of work activity. This method would make it possible to overcome the current uncertainty reported by Roncelli, according to which many workers cannot independently assess whether environmental conditions constitute a real risk to health. The extension of this model to Ticino would require a technical collaboration between cantonal authorities, occupational medicine experts and representatives of the most exposed professional categories, such as those employed in construction, agriculture,

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Key points

In a nutshell

• Start of GOSA meetings with social partners on health and the environment
• Discussion with Ticino deputation to the federal chambers
• Raising the awareness of the Municipalities on the regulations for the start of work
• Objective: concrete and effective measures as early as next year

Key facts

• What: Ticino Government Action Plan to tackle extreme heat at work
• When: Expected start as early as next year
• Where: Ticino, with national coordination
• Who: Council of State, social partners, federal deputation, municipalities
• Amount: Not yet specified (focus on process, not figures)

To translate the concerns that emerged during the meeting into concrete actions, the Council of State decided to activate several channels of intervention. First of all, the Health and Environment operational group (GOSA) will be formally launched, which will organise a series of structured meetings with the social partners (UNIA, OCST, USS, VPOD) to analyse in detail the sectoral criticalities and develop proposals for technical and organisational measures. At the same time, the Executive intends to bring the issue to the attention of the Ticino deputation to the federal chambers in Bern, recognizing that many of the regulatory levers to intervene on occupational safety during extreme weather events reside at the federal level, especially with regard to employer obligations and protection standards.

On the territorial front, the request to

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Source: ticinonews.ch