Heatwave episodes are recurring, intensifying, and extending over longer periods, from May to October. Yet, political and regulatory interventions remain largely insufficient.
The new decree concerning the protection of workers against heat-related risks (Decree no. 2025-482 of May 25, 2025, copy on the reverse side) only provides for action if the employer himself acknowledges the existence of a risk. As long as this is not the case, nothing is imposed. Prevention, though elementary (fresh water, breaks, adjusted schedules), is still not systematized, including at Airbus.
To reduce heat-related risks, the employer must:
- Implement work processes that reduce or eliminate heat exposure;
- Arrange workplaces and workstations;
- Adjust working hours to limit the duration and intensity of exposure and provide for rest periods;
- Increase the availability of fresh drinking water for workers (if there is no running water, at least 3L of water per employee per day must be provided);
- Provide personal protective equipment to limit or compensate for the effects of high temperatures or to protect against the effects of solar radiation;
- Implement an emergency protocol for employees working alone.
Ineffective Protection
❌ No maximum working temperature defined,
❌ No strengthening of the right to withdraw,
❌ No explicit prohibition to work in premises at 40°C in summer or 12°C in winter.
The government expands the notion of « suitable temperature » but without defining it. It creates a new chapter on heatwaves but only activates it in case of a yellow or orange alert from Météo France, ignoring that accidents also occur during green vigilance.
It should be noted that if the decree does not define what it calls « a temperature adapted to the workers’ activity and the environment in which they operate, » there are official recommendations on the matter. The National Institute for Professional Risks (INRS) considers physical work beyond 28°C and sedentary work beyond 30°C to be dangerous.
To guarantee real protection, the CGT demands:
- A reduction in work pace during heatwaves;
- An increase in paid break times starting from 25°C;
- The extension of bad weather unemployment benefits for heat to all sectors;
- The maintenance and strengthening of the right to withdraw, without possible sanction without the opinion of the labor inspectorate;
- Systematic investigations after heat-related discomfort or accidents;
- A mandatory reminder by the Ministry of Labor on the role of the CSE / CSSCT after a serious accident;
- The strengthening of resources for occupational health services and labor inspection, particularly in terms of staffing.
Priority to wages and working conditions, not dividends:
For CGT Airbus, the profits generated by our work must no longer be primarily paid into shareholders’ pockets. They must above all allow for increasing our wages and investing in working conditions that respect employees’ physical and mental health. Beyond temporary emergency solutions (cooling, air conditioning), management must urgently renovate buildings (thermal insulation, greening, reflective paints, etc.). Finally, these increasingly frequent and intense heatwaves are the result of inaction by our governments and the private interests they defend. Read the CGT Airbus Environment Gazettes published in May and July 2025.
Excerpt from Decree no. 2025-482 of May 25, 2025:
« Art. R. 4463-2. – The employer assesses the risks related to the exposure of workers to intense heat episodes, indoors or outdoors.
« When the assessment identifies a risk of harm to workers’ health or safety, the employer defines the prevention measures or actions provided for in III of Article L. 4121-3-1.
« Art. R. 4463-3. – The reduction of risks related to exposure to intense heat episodes provided for in the second paragraph of Article R. 4463-2 is based, in particular, on:
« 1° The implementation of work processes not requiring heat exposure or requiring less exposure;
« 2° The modification of the layout and arrangement of workplaces and workstations;
« 3° The adaptation of work organization, including working hours, to limit the duration and intensity of exposure and to provide for rest periods;
« 4° Technical means to reduce solar radiation on exposed surfaces, for example by dampening or insulation, or to prevent heat accumulation in premises or at the workstation;
« 5° The increase, as necessary, of fresh drinking water made available to workers;
« 6° The choice of appropriate work equipment allowing, given the work to be performed, to maintain a stable body temperature;
« 7° The provision of personal protective equipment to limit or compensate for the effects of high temperatures or to protect against the effects of direct or diffused solar radiation;
« 8° Adequate information and training for workers, on the one hand, on conduct to adopt in case of high heat and, on the other hand, on the correct use of work equipment and personal protective equipment to reduce their heat exposure to a level as low as technically possible.
« Art. 4463-4. – In the event of an intense heat episode, a sufficient quantity of fresh drinking water is provided by the employer.
« The employer provides a means to keep drinking water cool throughout the workday, near workstations, especially for outdoor workstations.
« Art. R. 4463-5. – When informed that a worker is, for reasons related notably to their age or health, particularly vulnerable to risks related to exposure to intense heat episodes, the employer adapts, in liaison with the occupational health and prevention service, the prevention measures provided for in this chapter to ensure the protection of their health.
« Art. R. 4463-6. – The employer defines the procedures for reporting any concerning physiological sign, discomfort, or distress, as well as those intended to provide assistance, as quickly as possible, to any worker, and more particularly, to isolated or remote workers.
« These are brought to the attention of workers and communicated to the occupational health and prevention service.
Do not hesitate to contact us if you notice any abuses…
syndicat.cgt@airbus.com // 05 61 93 91 13 // avions.cgtairbus.com