Summer marks a turning point for Almería’s greenhouses. While Europe enjoys its holiday season, much of the province’s horticultural operations enter a key phase of preparation: less than 17% of annual production takes place during these months, reflecting how the sector pauses its production cycles to condition facilities and plan the next campaign.
High temperatures force most crops to conclude their cycles and shift efforts toward improvement and maintenance tasks: soil disinfection, solarization, infrastructure checks, cover renewal and preparation of new plantings. Only some cooler areas of the Poniente region, such as Dalías and Berja, maintain activity thanks to their altitude and milder climatic conditions.
Worker safety in extreme heat is another priority for companies associated with COEXPHAL. The sector applies specific protocols that include adapting working hours, scheduling the most demanding tasks during periods of lower thermal stress, ensuring permanent access to drinking water, establishing recovery breaks and training workers to identify symptoms of heat stress. These measures are complemented by greenhouse‑specific actions such as roof whitening and natural or forced ventilation systems.
Support from research
Prevention is also reinforced through research. COEXPHAL collaborates with the University of Almería on studies that analyse real working conditions inside greenhouses and develop new protection tools. Among them is a smart watch capable of monitoring heat‑stress conditions in real time and alerting workers when risk thresholds are reached, even indicating the maximum recommended time they should remain inside the greenhouse.
COEXPHAL’s Occupational Risk Prevention Service carries out evaluations based on the INVASSAT method, with periodic measurements of temperature, humidity and other indicators. The Labour Inspectorate conducts annual checks to verify compliance with regulations, and to date no sanctions have been issued against associated marketing companies.
This year, COEXPHAL is also promoting the TempCalc mobile application, which enables real‑time application of risk assessments under the INVASSAT method and provides alerts and recommendations tailored to each working situation.
The combination of prevention, technical supervision, research and technology underscores the commitment of Almería’s fruit and vegetable sector to ensuring safe working conditions during the most demanding months of the year. compromiso del sector hortofrutícola almeriense con la seguridad y el bienestar de los trabajadores durante los meses más exigentes del año.
