Barcelona City Council announced new regulations on Tuesday to enhance labour protection for municipal workers and employees of concessionary companies during heatwaves. The changes, which include a ban on solitary outdoor work during high-temperature emergencies, will apply to 17,000 municipal staff and 15,000 contractor employees who work outdoors or in non-air-conditioned environments.
The instruction comes just over a month before summer begins and follows the death of a cleaning service worker last June after a shift in intense heat. The council recognises that sustained temperature increases and more frequent extreme weather events are clear signs of climate change, which has led to record temperatures and health consequences in recent summers.
New Measures for High Temperatures
A key new measure requires the identification of high-risk job positions and vulnerable individuals. The technical instruction outlines six different scenarios based on the alert level provided by the Servei Meteorològic de Catalunya (Catalan Meteorological Service).
In the highest emergency scenario, solitary outdoor work will be prohibited. Continuous work time will be limited to a maximum of 20 minutes, followed by mandatory two-minute breaks in locations that allow for thermal recovery. Additionally, tasks requiring significant physical exertion must be planned and carried out outside the hottest hours of the day. If this is not possible, staff rotations will be implemented.
Albert Batlle, Deputy Mayor for Security, Prevention, Internal Regime, and Coexistence, emphasised the instruction's importance. "The heat has not arrived yet, but it will, and we must be in a position to foresee what we do in the event of heatwaves," he explained. "We believe that any intervention above 35 degrees Celsius requires great care regarding the conditions under which it is carried out."
General Prevention and Supervision
For alerts with a lower danger threshold, the instruction advises preventive measures such as using personal protective equipment, including sun cream and hats or caps. It also suggests reassigning more physical activities to less sensitive individuals or rotating staff to reduce heat exposure time. Supervisors are also required to increase oversight of workers, for example, by establishing buddy systems.
Generally, even without specific heat alerts, the instruction stresses that all employees should be aware of specific protection plans and associated measures. It also recommends that between June and September, those working outdoors or in non-air-conditioned spaces take hydration breaks and preferably wear loose, breathable clothing.
Background to the New Rules
Almost a year ago, in late June 2025, a municipal cleaning service worker died after finishing her shift. The woman worked from 14:30 to 21:30 in the Gòtic neighbourhood during a heatwave. According to reports at the time, she had worked for FCC, one of the city's cleaning service concessionaires, for five years and used a cleaning trolley. After her shift, she went home, collapsed, and died.
Her family attributed her death to heatstroke, citing a message she sent to her mother after her shift, explaining that she had felt unwell throughout the day. The case is currently undergoing legal proceedings. The new regulations aim to prevent similar tragedies by proactively addressing the risks posed by extreme temperatures to workers in Barcelona.
