Working on a building site in the Italian summer has always been tough. However, this year construction workers in Rome have had to battle through record-high temperatures in excess of 40 degrees Celsius.

‌"Honestly, it was hard. It was difficult to work, and to face a similar situation next year would frankly be impossible," said Michele Saracino, a construction worker at a building site in the north of Rome.

"We've already been through it and we've seen that, in terms of productivity and physical fatigue, we suffered a lot. It's also risky because in the hottest hours it was impossible to work outside," added Saracino.

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‌This summer's extreme heat has been partly blamed for multiple deaths at workplaces across Italy including construction sites, a bakery and a supermarket. Last month a 44-year-old man died after collapsing while painting roads in Lodi, a town near Milan.

‌Workers can suffer a heat stroke, become dangerously dehydrated or the heat can exacerbate pre-existing conditions such as heart disease.

‌In addition to putting workers at risk, high temperatures drag down productivity. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO, part of the United Nations), the capacity of a worker operating at a "moderate intensity" drops by 50 percent when it's between 33 and 34 degrees Celsius.

‌After the intense heatwave in Europe this summer, trade unions have been calling for new rules to protect people who work outside, including construction and agricultural workers.

‌In Italy, the government moved quickly to respond to July's "Cerberus" heatwave. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government introduced new emergency measures, including easing regulations for construction and agricultural firms.

‌However, trade union leaders say they want much tougher rules, such as a blanket ban on working outside when temperatures rise over certain levels.

‌"The current legislation and also, unfortunately, the latest measures brought in by this government have not solved the problem," said Antonio Di Franco, President of the Fillea-CGIL trade union. "We hope that the fact that there is a climate crisis means that no one can deny now that there is a need to intervene, that this will raise awareness and encourage this government to listen to trade unions and implement measures to prevent deaths."

‌As summers in Italy and around the world continue to be intensely hot, the impact on workers in general is only set to get worse. The UN says heat stress will cut total working hours by more than two percent worldwide in 2030.

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