South Tyrol, red alert for extreme temperatures but province does not stop construction sites: 'No stop, follow guidelines'

South Tyrol province in Italy will not halt construction work despite a red alert for extreme temperatures, with labor councilor Magdalena Amhof arguing that a strict 35-degree Celsius shutdown is impractical for the region's diverse mountain climate.

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An ordinance of rigid and fixed prohibition at 35 degrees is not the right solution for South Tyrol. In a mountainous territory like ours, as in Trento, the climate varies greatly from area to area: a total block "across the board" would make little sense.

Amhof responded to criticism from construction unions, who had warned that the province had not signed any protocol to protect workers from heat, unlike other regions like Veneto. Unions highlighted the annual emergency faced by construction workers, who risk heatstroke and collapse due to extreme temperatures and solar radiation.

"The health of those working outdoors is an absolute priority, and I fully share the unions' concern: the extreme heat is a real risk," Amhof stated. She pointed to existing measures, including unemployment benefits (cassa integrazione) available once temperatures exceed 35 degrees Celsius, and specific guidelines distributed with occupational medicine. Amhof stressed that companies are obligated to protect employees by adjusting shifts, starting work at dawn, and ensuring hydration and shade breaks.

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The health of those working outdoors is an absolute priority and I fully share the unions' concern: the extreme heat is a real risk.

"If there are irresponsible behaviors or grueling shifts under the sun, as the unions rightly report, the answer is not a new rule, but enforcing the existing ones," Amhof added. The province plans to monitor the situation and intensify controls through competent bodies. However, unions noted that no South Tyrolean company has used integration funds for this purpose in three years, leading to continued construction work.

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If there are irresponsible behaviors or grueling shifts under the sun, as the unions rightly report, the answer is not a new rule, but enforcing the existing ones.