Ministerstwo Rodziny, Pracy i Polityki Społecznej przygotowało projekt nowych zasad ochrony pracowników w czasie upałów. Jeśli dokument zostanie zatwierdzony, Polska po raz pierwszy określi górny limit temperatury dla miejsc pracy oraz nałoży na pracodawców obowiązki dotyczące redukcji stresu cieplnego.
Currently, the country only has minimum temperature standards: 18 degrees for offices and 14 for other premises. There is no upper limit. The new regulation will correct this.
What temperature limits are being proposed
According to the draft, the maximum allowable temperature depends on the intensity of work. In offices and with low or moderate physical exertion, it is 28 degrees. With high exertion, the limit decreases to 25 degrees, and with very high exertion — to 22 degrees.
For outdoor work, regulations will begin at temperatures above 25 degrees — the company will have to take protective measures for employees
What employers must do
If the standard is exceeded, the employer is required to implement technical solutions: enhance ventilation, install air conditioning, use sun protection, or move workstations to shaded areas
When technical measures are insufficient, organizational measures come into play: remote work for office employees, additional breaks, shortening the workday or shifts. Companies will also be able to provide cooling vests or allow staff to access air-conditioned areas for rest.
For outdoor workers, the range of measures is broader: reducing heavy physical work during peak heat, changing schedules, resting in the shade or indoors
Complete work stoppage at critical temperatures
The strictest rule concerns unbearable heat. If the temperature in a room exceeds 35 degrees even after all protective measures, work there is prohibited. Outdoors, a ban on high physical exertion work is introduced at temperatures above 32 degrees.
However, not all types of activities will fall under these restrictions. The ministry plans to exclude critically important services, the list of which coincides with the exceptions for Sunday work.
The draft is currently under review. After approval, Poland will receive the first clear heat standards for workplaces in its history.
