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🇧🇪 Belgium /Disasters & Emergencies

Belgian thrift stores close early due to heatwave, prioritizing employee safety

From VRT NWS · () Dutch

Translated from Dutch, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Several 'Kringwinkels' (thrift stores) in the Hageland region of Belgium are closing earlier due to high temperatures.
  • The decision aims to protect employees from working in extreme heat, particularly those involved in heavy lifting at donation points.
  • While some stores have air conditioning and remain open, others are closing entirely, with measures to be evaluated for long-term solutions to increasing heat waves.

In Belgium's Hageland region, a number of thrift stores, known as Kringwinkels, are implementing early closures due to the ongoing heatwave. The measure, affecting stores in Tielt-Winge, Tienen, Aarschot, Landen, and Diest, sees them shutting their doors at 3 p.m. daily. This decision prioritizes the well-being of employees, particularly those engaged in physically demanding tasks like handling donations.

We don't want employees to have to work in the heat. Especially the people at the donation points also have to do heavy work.

— Paul StessensThe director explained the reasoning behind the early closures of the thrift stores.

Paul Stessens, the director, explained that the early closing time was chosen because while the heat is manageable earlier in the day, the buildings heat up significantly after hours of direct sun exposure. He also noted that the constant opening and closing of doors by customers contributes to the internal temperature rise.

One Kringwinkel in Glabbeek is experiencing such extreme internal temperatures that it will remain closed for both days. In contrast, the Tremelo location is equipped with air conditioning and will maintain its regular hours until 6 p.m. Donation points, where people drop off items, are also affected by the adjusted hours, as the work there involves considerable lifting and the areas often remain open, exacerbating the heat.

Throughout the day, the heat is still bearable. But when the sun shines on the buildings for hours, it heats up a lot during the day.

— Paul StessensThe director described how the heat builds up inside the store buildings.

Stessens acknowledged that not all employees are fully satisfied with the measures, as individual tolerance to heat varies. "There are few measures that will make everyone happy," he stated, emphasizing the challenge of finding solutions that benefit the majority.

There are few measures that will make everyone happy. Some people are more bothered by it than others. It is always a challenge to implement measures that benefit as many people as possible.

— Paul StessensThe director commented on the difficulty of satisfying all employees with the implemented heat-related measures.

The current adjustments are temporary and will be evaluated. Looking ahead, the Kringwinkel is exploring more permanent solutions to address the increasing frequency and intensity of heatwaves. This includes assessing building insulation and the potential for external shading to reduce the need for air conditioning, recognizing that such structural changes require significant investment and time.

We need to investigate our options, because there will be more and more heatwaves in the future.

— Paul StessensThe director discussed the need for long-term solutions to address future heatwaves.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by VRT NWS in Dutch. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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