HEAT-SHIELD · Project

Weather-Based Alert System That Protects Workers from Heat and Prevents Productivity Loss

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Every summer, millions of Europeans working outdoors or in hot environments — construction sites, farms, factories — lose hours of productive work because it's simply too hot to function safely. HEAT-SHIELD built a weather-based warning system that tells employers in advance when dangerous heat is coming, along with practical guidelines on what to do about it. Think of it as a weather app specifically designed for workplace safety, telling you not just "it'll be 38°C tomorrow" but "here's how to adjust shifts, hydration, and cooling to keep your people safe and working." The project tested these solutions across multiple industries in 11 European countries over six years.

By the numbers

millions

Europeans affected by occupational heat stress during summertime

consortium partners across disciplines

European countries covered by the research

project deliverables produced

6 years

project duration (2016-2021)

The business problem

What needed solving

Every summer, outdoor and indoor workers across Europe face dangerous heat conditions that cause health emergencies and measurable productivity drops — a problem that worsens every year with climate change. Companies currently rely on generic weather forecasts and ad-hoc responses, lacking sector-specific guidance on when heat becomes dangerous for their particular operations and what concrete steps to take. The result is a costly combination of work stoppages, health incidents, and legal liability.

The solution

What was built

The project built an online open-access weather-based warning service that anticipates heat threats to workers' health, paired with sector-specific adaptation guidelines. It also produced technical and biophysical solutions for workplace cooling, scenario-specific policies for preventing productivity loss, and evaluated their health, economic, and social benefits across multiple sectors in 11 European countries.

Audience

Who needs this

Construction companies with outdoor crews in heat-prone regionsAgricultural operations managing field workers during summerManufacturing plants with high-heat indoor environmentsOccupational health and safety consultanciesMunicipal and regional authorities responsible for outdoor worker regulations

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Construction & Infrastructure

any

Target: Construction firms managing outdoor crews in southern Europe

If you are a construction company dealing with summer heat waves that force work stoppages and put crews at risk — this project developed an online weather-based warning service that anticipates dangerous heat events before they hit. It comes with sector-specific adaptation guidelines so you can adjust schedules, hydration protocols, and cooling measures rather than shutting down entirely. The system was tested across 11 European countries with input from 20 consortium partners.

Agriculture & Farming

any

Target: Large-scale farming operations and agricultural cooperatives

If you are an agricultural operation losing harvest days and worried about field workers collapsing during heat waves — this project created practical heat adaptation guidelines backed by biophysical research. The online access service lets you check upcoming heat threats specific to your region and get actionable advice on protecting workers while keeping operations running. The project specifically covered agriculture as one of its key sectors across its six-year research period.

Manufacturing & Industrial Production

mid-size

Target: Factories and plants with high-heat indoor environments

If you are a manufacturing plant where indoor temperatures climb dangerously in summer, causing both safety incidents and measurable drops in output — this project developed technical cooling solutions and workplace policies grounded in research from 10 leading European universities. The online warning service helps you anticipate heat events and implement preventive measures before productivity suffers. Solutions were designed for real industrial settings, not just lab conditions.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to implement the HEAT-SHIELD warning system?

The project developed an online open-access service, meaning the weather-based warning system is freely accessible. Implementation costs would involve integrating the guidelines into your existing health and safety protocols, which is largely an organizational effort rather than a technology purchase. Based on available project data, no licensing fees are indicated for the core online service.

Can this scale to cover all our work sites across Europe?

The system was developed and validated across 11 European countries (CH, CY, DK, EL, ES, IT, NL, PT, SE, SI, UK) with 20 consortium partners, so geographic coverage across Europe is built into the design. The weather-based warning service is online and can serve multiple locations simultaneously. Scaling to additional sites would primarily require adapting the sector-specific guidelines to your local operations.

Who owns the IP and can I license this technology?

The project was funded as a Research and Innovation Action, coordinated by the University of Copenhagen. IP is likely shared among the 20 consortium partners under their grant agreement. The online access service was designed as an open-access tool, but specific technical solutions may require licensing discussions with the consortium. Contact the coordinator for commercial terms.

Does this meet occupational health and safety regulations?

HEAT-SHIELD was specifically designed to address the gap between EU climate policy and workplace safety requirements. The project developed scenario-specific policies aimed at health promotion and productivity preservation, and evaluated their health, economic, and social benefits. These outputs can support compliance with EU occupational health directives on thermal comfort.

How long does it take to implement these solutions?

The online warning service is already operational and accessible immediately. Implementing the full set of adaptation guidelines — adjusting shift patterns, hydration protocols, cooling measures — would depend on your operation's complexity. Based on available project data, the project ran from 2016 to 2021, with implementation and evaluation phases built into the final years.

Can this integrate with our existing safety management systems?

The project's main output is an online access service with weather-based warnings and adaptation guidelines. These can be integrated into existing occupational health systems as an additional data feed and decision-support layer. The guidelines are sector-specific, designed for practical implementation rather than requiring a complete overhaul of existing safety protocols.

Consortium

Who built it

The HEAT-SHIELD consortium of 20 partners across 11 countries is heavily research-oriented, with 10 universities and only 2 industry partners (10% industry ratio). This tells a business buyer two things: the science behind these solutions is exceptionally well-validated by top European research institutions, but commercial packaging and support may still be developing. The single SME in the consortium suggests limited startup-driven commercialization so far. For a company looking to adopt these solutions, the University of Copenhagen as coordinator is your entry point — they can connect you with the right technical experts from the consortium. The broad geographic spread (from Scandinavia to Cyprus) means the solutions were tested across diverse European climate conditions, which is a genuine advantage.

KOBENHAVNS UNIVERSITETCoordinator · DK
EDEX - EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE CORPORATION LIMITEDparticipant · CY
UNIVERSITY OF WOLVERHAMPTONparticipant · UK
LUNDS UNIVERSITETparticipant · SE
INSTITUT JOZEF STEFANparticipant · SI
NEDERLANDSE ORGANISATIE VOOR TOEGEPAST NATUURWETENSCHAPPELIJK ONDERZOEK TNOparticipant · NL
AZIENDA UNITA' SANITARIA LOCALE TOSCANA CENTROparticipant · IT
UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI FIRENZEparticipant · IT
CENTER FOR TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH ANDINNOVATION (CETRI) LTDparticipant · CY
LOUGHBOROUGH UNIVERSITYparticipant · UK
EIDGENOESSISCHES DEPARTEMENT DES INNERNparticipant · CH
UNIVERSIDADE DO PORTOparticipant · PT
PANEPISTIMIO THESSALIASparticipant · EL
ACCIONA CONSTRUCCION SAparticipant · ES
EIDGENOSSISCHE MATERIALPRUFUNGS- UND FORSCHUNGSANSTALTparticipant · CH
UNIVERZA V LJUBLJANIparticipant · SI

How to reach the team

Coordinator is the University of Copenhagen (Denmark). SciTransfer can facilitate an introduction to the right team member for your specific industry application.

Order a report on this consortium See KOBENHAVNS UNIVERSITET profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to know if HEAT-SHIELD's heat warning system and adaptation guidelines fit your operations? SciTransfer can arrange a direct briefing with the research team — tailored to your sector, your sites, and your specific heat exposure challenges.

Order a report on this topic More in Health & Biomedical