Extreme heat: the “heat plan” is becoming an HSE standard (and a real performance issue)

For a long time, heat at work was treated as a seasonal topic: a few reminders, some water bottles, and improvised adjustments. Since 2025, the framework has changed: prevention of risks linked to episodes of intense heat has been strengthened in the Labour Code, and the expected measures are no longer merely recommendations.

For an executive or a manager, it can be tempting to view heat as a logistical constraint. In reality, it is a safety and performance issue. Heat increases fatigue, reduces alertness, encourages mistakes and accidents, and amplifies existing risks (manual handling, vehicle and equipment traffic, work at height, wearing PPE, simultaneous operations). The “heat plan” is therefore not a formality: it protects the collective and business continuity.

The first reflex to adopt is to integrate heat into the risk assessment, with a “real work” lens. The roles concerned are not only outdoor jobs: poorly ventilated workshops, premises with heat-emitting machines, logistics areas, cabins, rooftop interventions, maintenance activities—and even certain exposed offices—may be affected. The point is not to think in terms of “weather,” but in terms of exposure.

Next, the heat plan must be operational—i.e., actionable by managers without improvisation. The goal is to define in advance what changes when heat is present: adjusted working hours, reorganization of physically demanding tasks, additional breaks, access to water and the ability to keep it cool near workstations, adaptation of resources (ventilation, shade, recovery areas), simple instructions, monitoring of warning signs, and an effective right to raise an alert. The decree notably includes requirements on access to cool drinking water and prevention measures during periods of intense heat.

The critical point, as often in HSE, is managerial consistency. A heat plan becomes useless if the organization sends contradictory messages: “take breaks” but “hit the deadline.” Here, management’s role is to make the trade-off explicit: protecting people comes first, and schedule adjustments are part of normal operations management. It is also a powerful cultural signal: a company that protects people under constraint builds trust—and therefore engagement.

Finally, a useful heat plan is fed by feedback. After each heat episode, hold a short debrief: what worked well, what got stuck, which roles were most exposed, which measures were insufficient, and what investments are needed. In two summers, a company can move from improvised management to real control.

Conclusion

Since 2025, heat is no longer a “side topic.” It is an occupational risk that must be integrated with concrete measures. Organizations that treat the heat plan as a true HSE standard will strengthen both protection and performance.