The high summer heat may have caused the death of two more people.
"Two fatal work accidents possibly linked to the heat were notified to Public Health France by the General Directorate of Labor: one observed during the July heat wave, and one during this new heat wave" in early August, announced the public health agency in its latest report to date of heat wave episodes.
The agency told AFP that these two deaths were in addition to the other cases mentioned in previous reports, bringing the total to six deaths at work possibly linked to the heat wave.
Public Health France did not give more details on the nature of these deaths, their precise date or the identity of the victims.
Europe already marked by several deaths linked to the heat wave
France was marked this summer by multiple episodes of heat waves during which many temperature records were broken.
In other European countries, workers have died because of their exposure to very high temperatures.
These deaths, which took place in particular in Spain or Italy, affected, for example, people working in warehouses or agricultural employees.
They relaunched the debate on working conditions during heat waves, leading the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) to call for the establishment of “maximum working temperatures”.
Read also Heat wave: how is the number of deaths linked to high heat calculated?
In addition and more generally, Public Health France gave an initial estimate of the excess mortality in July in France, estimating it 20% higher than normal.
However, this figure does not distinguish deaths specifically linked to heat waves, especially since the month of July was also marked by an epidemic wave of Covid-19.
The authorities intend to give a more specific assessment in September.
