Extreme Heat in Italian Kitchens Sparks Concern After Chef's Death

Temperatures in Italian restaurant kitchens are soaring to dangerous levels during the summer heatwave, with workers reporting conditions exceeding 60 degrees Celsius. Despite these extreme conditions, Italy lacks a legally mandated maximum temperature that would require kitchens to halt operations.

The platform Restworld, which focuses on the gastronomy labor market, has brought attention to the issue, having received hundreds of reports from kitchens across the country since early August. Documented temperatures range from 30 to 51.4 degrees Celsius, with some workers reporting even higher readings.

These harsh working conditions have come into sharp focus following the death of chef Marco Barsi in Forte dei Marmi, a Tuscan seaside resort. Barsi collapsed and died in his restaurant's sweltering kitchen. Restworld estimates that up to 162,000 gastronomic establishments in Italy could have workplaces with particularly high heat exposure during the summer months.

Restworld is urging the government to intervene, proposing measures such as a fund to help gastronomic businesses better insulate their workplaces against extreme heat. "The management of risk for employees is left to the individual assessments of companies," criticized Restworld founder Luca Lotterio. He also believes Italy should discuss recognizing work in restaurant kitchens as a particularly strenuous activity.

Meanwhile, the city of Milan has implemented an ordinance to protect food delivery workers from extreme heat, which includes reducing or suspending order assignments during the hottest parts of the day.

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The management of risk for employees is left to the individual assessments of companies.