Across Europe, employers in the battery manufacturing sector have consistently prioritised product protection over workers’ wellbeing. Nowhere is this more evident than in the widespread use of zero-humidity rooms.
To prevent moisture-related damage to sensitive materials such as lithium-ion batteries, workers are required to operate in so-called dry rooms. Engineered to maintain near-zero moisture levels and, by extension, virtually no humidity, these conditions can have severe consequences for workers’ health.
Cracked skin, nosebleeds and burning throats are not isolated complaints. They are the daily reality for workers in zero-humidity rooms, who endure conditions that are alternately unbearably hot or bitterly cold. These are not minor inconveniences: in the long term, they pose a serious risk of lung damage and other chronic diseases that cannot be overlooked.
That is why industriAll Europe, alongside its affiliates, is demanding that workers are no longer sacrificed for optimal production conditions — particularly as we prepare to launch the European Gate Action Week from 23 to 27 March.
IndustriAll Europe’s latest campaign leaflet sets out key demands to employers to ensure safer working environments in zero-humidity rooms:
- real protection through equipment and protective gear suited to extreme condition
- guaranteed breaks and access to safe, comfortable rest areas
- reduced exposure through systematic risk monitoring and strictly limited time spent in hazardous environments
- long-term health protection through regular medical check-ups and ongoing health surveillance
Download and print these flyers — along with other campaign materials — to coordinate actions with colleagues and distribute them during next week’s European Gate Action Week. Remember to take action and send us your photos.