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The high temperatures currently affecting Portugal have once again brought employers’ health and safety obligations into focus, as well as employees’ rights in situations involving heat-related risks.
In an article published in ECO, Pedro Antunes, Partner in the Labour practice area at CCA Law Firm, analyses the legal framework applicable to periods of extreme heat, addressing the preventive measures employers should adopt and the circumstances in which an employee may lawfully remove themselves from a dangerous situation.
In this context, he notes that “the existence of high temperatures alone does not automatically justify an employee’s refusal to work.”
The article also highlights that each situation must be assessed on a case-by-case basis, taking into account factors such as the intensity of the heat, the duration of exposure, the nature of the work performed and the preventive measures implemented. It further notes that failure to comply with occupational health and safety obligations may expose employers to liability.
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- ECO