Unions call for federal regulations to shield workers from excessive heat

Australian unions are pressing for the introduction of new national safety protocols that require employers to either stop work or modify tasks during extreme heat conditions.

The Commonwealth’s National Climate Risk Assessment for 2025 anticipates that heat-related fatalities in major urban areas will increase over fourfold without intervention – with increases of 444 percent in Sydney, 423 percent in Darwin, 312 percent in Perth, and 259 percent in Melbourne.

Data from Safe Work Australia reveals that at present, workers endure 74 percent of the financial burden resulting from heat-related injuries and illnesses, with employers incurring only 5 percent of this burden.

“No worker should be told to push through the brutal heat and risk their own life. When it’s dangerously hot, your boss should either change your work or stop your work," ACTU President Michele O'Neil said.

“A rest break or work stoppage in extreme heat can be the difference between a worker going home safe or not going home at all."

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