Attention is mounting in Italy after a 19-year-old farmworker died in the country's north, sharpening debate over how nations protect people whose work keeps them outside in dangerous heat.
According to Wanted in Milan, the worker was a Romanian national living in Monticelli d'Ongina. He collapsed at about 5 p.m. on August 2 while harvesting tomatoes near Stagno Lombardo, where temperatures reached 37°C (98.6°F).
Coworkers called for help, and paramedics treated him at the scene. He was then taken to Cremona's Ospedale Maggiore, where he died later that evening.
Carabinieri investigators and the regional health authority are examining whether employment and safety rules were followed. The outlet also reported that a post-mortem has been ordered to determine whether the extreme heat contributed to his death.
The investigation is additionally looking at whether he was working during the hours covered by Lombardy's outdoor-labor ban on red-alert days.
The death has intensified scrutiny of whether existing heat protections are strong enough for people working in agriculture, construction, and other jobs that involve prolonged exposure to high temperatures.
In comments cited by Wanted in Milan, the agricultural unions Fai Cisl, Flai Cgil, and Uila Uil in Cremona said that making the young man work in that level of heat would amount to "a serious and unacceptable violation of the right to dignified, rules-compliant work."
Worsening extreme weather can threaten both lives and livelihoods. Intense heat increases the risk of dehydration, heat exhaustion, organ stress, and death, particularly for workers performing physical labor outdoors.
Wanted in Milan reported that, according to Flai Cgil, at least 16 agricultural workers in Italy have died since June 14, with the union saying five of those deaths were caused by extreme heat.
Local officials and labor groups are calling for a stronger response. Roberto Mariani, mayor of Stagno Lombardo, visited the scene and urged tougher protections for people working in the fields.
Regional rules already bar some outdoor work in agriculture and construction during part of red-alert heat days, but the case has renewed criticism that those time windows may be too narrow to match how long dangerous heat can last.
Campaigners and political figures are also pushing for tighter scrutiny of contracts, working hours, and conditions in Italian agriculture, where migrants make up much of the workforce. Findings in this case suggest the worker and his colleagues were regularly employed, though the investigation remains ongoing.
Wanted in Milan reported that on August 6, Italy's health ministry issued extreme-heat red alerts for all 27 of the major cities on its monitoring list.
Flai Cgil national secretary Silvia Guaraldi said that a 19-year-old "must not die of work under a scorching sun."
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