Belgian legislation does not set a fixed maximum ‘air temperature’. Instead, it uses the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) thermometer which factors in air temperature, humidity, radiation and air movement to measure excessive environmental heat.

When the WBGT index exceeds 29°C for a light physical workload, 26°C for a semi-heavy physical workload, 22°C for a heavy physical workload and 18°C for a very heavy physical workload, the employer must take protective measures.

Exceeding these thresholds therefore triggers mandatory action by employers, but does not in itself result in an automatic prohibition on work.

Chilean legislation does not establish a single maximum ambient air temperature for all workplaces. Instead, occupational heat exposure is regulated through the Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) index. The applicable regulations set permissible WBGT limits depending on:

• The physical workload (which can be light, moderate or heavy, expressed in kcal/hour); and
• The work/rest regime applied.

The WBGT formula also varies depending on the work environment, with one method used for outdoor work where there is solar radiation, and another for indoor or outdoor work where there is no solar radiation (such as in shaded conditions). The underlying employer objective is to keep the core body temperature of employees below 38°C. They should be acclimatised to the environment and provided with adequate water and salt intake.

Employers are further required to check daily for weather alerts issued by the Chilean Meteorological Service and to monitor any heat alerts issued by the National Service for Disaster Prevention and Response.

Cyprus does not prescribe a single maximum working temperature. Instead, thermal stress is regulated through secondary legislation such as the Minimum Safety and Health at Work Regulations and the Code of Practice Orders. The framework combines environmental measurements (temperature and humidity), meteorological heat warnings and work-specific risk assessments. Certain restrictions apply depending on the nature of the work. For example, during an orange-level heat warning, outdoor moderate and heavy work must cease between 12:00–16:00, while during a red-level warning such work must cease for the duration of the warning. The rules primarily distinguish between different types of work and whether work is performed outdoors.

There are limits for temperatures in the workplace in the Czech Republic. They are set by government regulations regarding occupational health and safety.

In short, the particular limit depends on the type of workplace (indoors or outdoors, air-conditioned or not air-conditioned) and the type of work performed (based on the average energy expenditure of employees). Exceeding these limits does not automatically prohibit the further performance of work, but they may give rise to other obligations for employers.

In addition to temperature, and depending on the individual circumstances, factors like airflow, humidity, amount of fluid lost, heart rate, working time and employee acclimatisation may be taken into account when assessing heat stress as a risk factor.

Estonian legalisation does not establish a legally defined maximum working temperature.

Despite this, and under Estonia’s occupational health and safety legislation, the indoor climate at a workplace – air temperature and humidity and air velocity – must be suitable for performing work tasks, and workplaces must be provided with fresh air. A suitable indoor climate must be determined having regard to the number of employees in a workroom, the mental and physical demands placed on the employees, the size of the workroom, the specifics of the work equipment used, and the nature of the technological process (that is, how the work itself is carried out).

According to the Labour Inspectorate, the recommended indoor temperature ranges from 15-25°C, depending on the nature of work performed. For example, 20–25°C is recommended for work that is performed sitting down and does not require physical exertion, while 15–20°C is recommended for work involving continuous movement and the moving and handling of heavy loads (over 10kg) which requires a greater level of physical exertion.

French law sets no maximum working temperature, whether indoors or outdoors, and this does not vary by type of work or location. However, employers have a general legal duty to protect workers’ health and safety and must take specific preventive measures during ’intense heat episodes’. This follows the introduction of specific heat-related rules from 1 July 2025.

Intense heat episodes are defined by reference to Météo-France’s yellow, orange and red “canicule” vigilance levels (set locally for each department in France, that is the various administrative regions in the country) rather than by fixed temperatures.

As non-binding guidance, the French National Research and Safety Institute for the Prevention of Occupational Accidents and Diseases (or INRS) recommends particular employer vigilance from 28°C for physical work and 30°C for office or sedentary work.

In Greece, there is no specific maximum working temperature. Instead, heat exposure is assessed using the Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) index method. This allows employers to evaluate workers’ thermal stress. Exceptions apply in certain sectors. For example, shipbuilding and ship-repair work Collective Labour Agreements prohibit work above 36°C at certain hours of the day, usually midday and in the afternoon.

Currently there is no legal maximum working temperature in Ireland. However, employers must ensure safe workplaces and working conditions for their staff under Irish law and, specifically, that the indoor temperature during working hours is ‘appropriate for human beings, having regard to the working methods being used and the physical demands placed on the employees.’

The Irish Health and Safety Authority (or HSA) states that employers have a duty of care to protect employees from heat stress, including heat-related illness like dehydration, heat exhaustion, or heatstroke.

India has no legally fixed maximum working temperature, whether for office-based, manual, indoor or outdoor work.

Instead, the position is driven by heatwave advisories rather than a legally defined temperature threshold. The Ministry of Labour and Employment’s advisory dated 28 April 2026 and Delhi’s Heat Wave Action Plan 2026 set the expected employer measures by reference to heatwave conditions defined by the India Meteorological Department. The relevant trigger is therefore a declared heatwave rather than a specific temperature.

These advisories are generally non-binding recommendations, but may become binding where a State issues directions to employers.

In Italy there is no legally defined maximum working temperature for workplaces. The law provides that ‘the temperature in workplaces must be suitable for the human organism during working hours, taking into account the working methods used and the physical effort imposed on employees,’ without setting any specific threshold.

Kazakhstani legislation establishes requirements for optimal and permissible workplace microclimate conditions, including temperature indicators. Employers must implement certain measures to ensure these conditions are maintained, explored further in part two of our extreme heat series.

The applicable temperature levels vary depending on working conditions (namely the level of work intensity and whether that is light, moderate, or heavy) and the time of year (cold and warm periods).

During the cold period, the optimal temperatures at work should be:

• 22–24°C for light work;
• 18–20°C for work of moderate intensity; and
• 16–18°C for heavy work.

During the warm period, the optimal temperatures at work should be:

• 23–25°C for light work;
• 21–23°C for moderate work; and
• 18–20°C for heavy work.

Deviations from these optimal temperatures are permitted. In the cold period, temperatures may exceed the normal level by up to 3°C and fall below it by up to 5°C below the norm. During the warm period, they may exceed the norm by up to 5°C and fall below it by up to 7°C.

In Luxembourg, there are no specific legal provisions governing employers’ obligations in the event of a heatwave. However, employers are required to ensure the safety and health of employees in all aspects of work. This general duty includes taking the necessary measures to protect the safety and health of employees during periods of extreme heat.

In the event of ‘exceptional heat’, and subject to specific conditions, employers may be able to rely on the unemployment scheme for bad weather provided for by Luxembourg labour legislation.

There is no legally defined maximum working temperature in the Netherlands.

Under the relevant working condition rules, workplace temperatures must not harm employees’ health. Dutch legislation does not set a specific temperature limit, because the risk depends on factors such as humidity, physical exertion, solar radiation, and protective clothing. For office work, non-binding guidelines advise employers to consider measures starting from approximately 26°C, with an accepted range of 23 to 28°C depending on the nature and intensity of the work. Specific temperature standards vary by industry and collective labour agreements or health and safety catalogues often contain sector-specific arrangements, for example, for construction or roofing workers.

There is not a legally defined maximum working temperature in New Zealand. However, there is a statutory duty on employers (and more generally a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU)), to ensure, so far as reasonably practical, that workers carry out work without risks to health and safety. This includes eliminating or minimising risks relating to extreme heat.

Current regulations do not specify a maximum temperature at which work may be carried out, whether outdoors or indoors. An exception applies in relation to young employees, for whom a maximum indoor temperature of 30°C is prescribed.

More generally, employers must ensure that workplaces are suitable for the type of work performed, and for the number of employees present. Work premise, including their fittings, must provide employees with safe and hygienic working conditions. In particular, employers are obliged to provide employees with natural and artificial lighting, an appropriate temperature, adequate ventilation, and protection against damp, adverse thermal conditions, sunlight, vibrations, and other harmful factors.

Similar provisions are set out in the regulations governing outdoor work. The employer is obliged to manage work in such a way to protect employees from hazards associated with weather conditions, including precipitation, low or high temperatures, strong winds and falling objects.

Turkish law does not prescribe a legally defined maximum working temperature applicable to workplaces.

However, employers have a general duty under occupational health and safety legislation to ensure employees’ health and safety and to assess and mitigate heat-related risks. In this context, workplace temperature should be maintained at a level appropriate to the nature of the work and the working environment.

There is no official maximum temperature threshold that automatically requires work to stop. Nevertheless, for work performed in high-temperature environments (particularly outdoor work or physically demanding manual work), employers are expected to take appropriate measures such as providing drinking water, ventilation, rest breaks, shade and suitable personal protective equipment, depending on the circumstances and risk assessment findings.

There is no legally defined maximum working temperature in Ukraine.

However, State Sanitary Standards for the Microclimate of Industrial Buildings, provide that the permissible air temperature at permanent workstations must not exceed 28°C.

Work at temperatures above 37°C are considered dangerous (extreme), in which case it is recommended work arrangements and schedules be adjusted, for example by shifting work to the morning or evening.

These rules apply to work carried out in production premises, (that is, enclosed spaces in designated buildings where people carry out work activities on a permanent basis, such as an office). They do not apply to work carried out in vehicles, on farms, in cold stores or warehouses, or in premises where the temperature is set in accordance with technical requirements.

Uruguay does not have a statutory maximum working temperature.

The general Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) framework requires environmental conditions to be compatible with the nature of the work and workers’ physiological wellbeing, but does not set a fixed numeric threshold. In November 2025, the Labour Inspectorate issued a Guide for work with exposure to high temperatures, which requires employers to implement a specific heat protocol.

Temperature thresholds are assessed on a case-by-case basis using recognised methods, including wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT), heat-index tables, and Evalter-Obs. The applicable assessment varies by context: enclosed indoor spaces are assessed by reference to official temperature and relative humidity tables (comfort-based), while outdoor work relies on INUMET heat alerts. Physical workload (light, medium, heavy) is also taken into account.