As summer temperatures rise, maintaining a safe, healthy and productive working environment is an important legal responsibility for companies operating in Slovenia. Both indoor and outdoor working conditions are strictly regulated by the Slovenian Occupational Health and Safety Act (ZVZD-1 ) and specific regulations on requirements for ensuring safety and health at work.

As temperatures rise, employers must take proactive, legally compliant measures, while employees should understand their rights and the mechanisms available to protect their health.

Below is a comprehensive and straightforward guide to the temperature limits, mandatory employer actions, relative humidity metrics and safety guidelines applicable under Slovenian law.

1. Indoor workplaces: The 28°C Threshold and Technical Limits

Under normal circumstances, the air temperature in indoor work environments should not exceed 28°C. However, this rule is accompanied by specific technical parameters regarding hot zones, floor coverings and relative humidity.

The maximum temperature standards

  1. General limit: The indoor air temperature during working hours must meet the biological needs of the employees, taking into account the type of work and physical strain, and must not exceed 28 °C.
  2. Exception for “hot workplaces” (vroči delovni prostori): in industrial environments where temperatures naturally exceed 28 °C due to machinery or production equipment (such as furnaces or production ovens), the employer must ensure that the temperature in adjacent auxiliary rooms, corridors and stairwells connected to these hot zones does not exceed 20 °C.
  3. Cold Storage Exception: Cold storage and freezer rooms are exempt from the heat exposure limits because they are subject to specific health and safety standards for working in cold conditions.

Mandatory HVAC Relative Humidity Controls

When indoor workspaces are conditioned or ventilated using HVAC systems, the relative humidity of the supply air must be strictly controlled to prevent respiratory and thermoregulatory discomfort. The law requires that the relative humidity of the supply air must not exceed the following thresholds

  1. 80% when the indoor air temperature is 20°C or lower
  2. 73% when the indoor air temperature is 22°C or lower
  3. 65% when the indoor air temperature is 24°C or lower
  4. 60% when the indoor air temperature is 26°C or lower
  5. 55% when the indoor air temperature is 28°C or lower
  6. Minimum Limit: The relative humidity of the supply air must never fall below 30%.

Floor Temperature Regulations

To prevent physical strain on workers who stand for long periods of time:

  1. The floor temperature in indoor work areas shall not exceed 29°C.
  2. The floor temperature shall not exceed 27°C in rooms where employees stand or are active for more than 2 hours per day.

2. Mandatory Employer Actions for Indoor Thermal Relief

Even if high temperatures in the workplace are temporary or occur only occasionally as a result of extreme outdoor weather, the employer has a legal responsibility to provide acceptable thermal comfort.

The risk assessment framework

Every protective measure – whether temporary or permanent – must be formally integrated into the company’s mandatory safety statement with risk assessment (Izjava o varnosti z oceno tveganja). These measures must be designed and implemented in close coordination with the company’s designated occupational health specialist(izvajalec medicine dela).

Possible organizational and technical measures

Depending on the workplace, employers should implement a combination of the following measures

  1. Time management: Rearranging work schedules (e.g., starting earlier in the morning), reducing daily work hours, or providing more frequent and longer breaks.
  2. Work Intensity: Reducing the physical intensity of tasks during peak heat hours.
  3. Hydration: Provide free, easily accessible and appropriate refreshing non-alcoholic beverages (such as chilled water or electrolyte replenishing drinks).
  4. Extreme Measures: In cases of severe, unmitigated heat hazards, temporary suspension of the work process is the absolute last resort.
  5. Long-term infrastructure: Installation of technical solutions such as additional ventilation, local cooling systems, solar shading window films and mechanical blinds.

3. Outdoor workspaces: The 30°C rule

During the hot summer months, outdoor workers – especially those in construction, agriculture, forestry, and logistics – experience severe thermal stress.

Mandatory requirements at 30°C

When the air temperature measured by the national network of meteorological stations exceeds 30°C, outdoor work (including temporary or mobile construction sites) can only continue if the employer strictly complies with the following conditions:

  1. Mandatory breaks: Workers must be provided with a minimum 15-minute break every 2 to 3 hours.
  2. Hydration: Free, refreshing, non-alcoholic beverages must be provided by the employer.
  3. Rest Areas: During these breaks, employers must provide shelter or rest areas that protect workers from direct sunlight and inclement weather.
  4. Sun Protection: Employers must provide appropriate personal protective equipment, such as sunscreen, headwear, and UV-filtered eyewear, for those working in clear, sunny weather.

The Construction Industry Nuance

While national safety regulations enforce mandatory breaks and refreshment above 30°C, the collective agreement for the Slovenian construction industry stipulates that “normal” outdoor work is permitted up to 45°C. However, this collective agreement threshold does not override the health and safety mandate: construction employers must still provide the required breaks and refreshments once the 30°C mark is exceeded.

4. Employee rights: What to do if the workplace is too hot

Employees have clear legal avenues to address substandard thermal conditions in their workplace.

Step 1: Internal reporting

The first and most effective step is for the worker (or union/workers’ council representatives) to report the inadequate conditions directly to the employer or safety officer and demand immediate corrective action.

Step 2: The right to refuse work

According to Slovenian occupational health and safety laws, an employee has the right to refuse to work if he or she faces an immediate and direct danger to his or her life or health because the employer has failed to implement the required safety measures.

  1. Crucial clarification: The Slovenian Labour Inspectorate (Inšpektorat RS za delo) considers that a temporary or occasional exceeding of 28°C in an indoor workplace does not automatically constitute an immediate life-threatening danger (except for certain vulnerable groups, such as persons with chronic cardiovascular or respiratory diseases). Therefore, a general refusal to work based solely on high indoor temperatures must be carefully evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Step 3: Report to the Labour Inspectorate

If the employer consistently refuses to address temperature concerns or implement thermal comfort measures, employees can file an official, confidential report with the Labor Inspectorate of the Republic of Slovenia (Inšpektorat RS za delo), which has the authority to impose fines and order immediate corrective action.

5. Practical safety tips from the Slovenian Labour Inspectorate

To reduce the health risks of high temperatures (such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke), both employers and workers should follow these practical daily tips:

  1. The AC “Minus 7” Rule: When using air conditioning, make sure the indoor air temperature is no more than 7°C lower than the outdoor temperature. Sudden, extreme temperature changes can cause thermal shock and affect cardiovascular health.
  2. Stay hydrated: Drink up to 3 liters of nonalcoholic fluids daily. Prioritize water and unsweetened herbal teas, and remember to replenish lost electrolytes.
  3. Avoid dehydrating agents: Strictly avoid alcohol, highly caffeinated beverages, highly salted foods, and strong spices as they accelerate dehydration.
  4. Dress Appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose-fitting, light-colored, and highly breathable clothing.
  5. Take frequent cool breaks: Take short, frequent breaks in cool rooms. Make sure these rooms are not excessively cold to prevent thermal shock.
  6. Strategic planning: Schedule the most physically demanding tasks for the early morning hours when outdoor temperatures are at their lowest.
  7. The buddy system: When working in extremely high temperatures, always work in pairs so that employees can monitor each other for signs of heat exhaustion and provide immediate first aid if necessary.

About SIBIZ

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