Heatwave 2026: How to maintain industrial production despite the high temperatures?
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
The summer of 2026 gives us a very concrete glimpse of a risk that manufacturers will now have to permanently integrate into their organization: extreme heat...
With an average temperature of 24.9°C, July 2026 was the hottest month ever recorded in France since measurements began in 1900. Several heat waves have occurred since this spring, and August has also seen its share of record-breaking temperatures...
For an industrial company, the consequences of this intense heat extend far beyond comfort in the workshops. Schedules, production rates, equipment, maintenance, logistics, but also quality and adherence to deadlines can all be directly impacted.
Today, the heatwave is therefore also a challenge to the continuity of production.
Heat must be part of the production schedule
The first step is obviously to adapt working conditions. This is essential. The INRS (French National Research and Safety Institute for the Prevention of Occupational Accidents and Diseases) specifically recommends, for industrial activities, reducing exposure to heat sources related to machinery and processes, setting up recovery areas, and adapting work organization.
Since the decree of May 27, 2025 relating to the protection of workers against risks related to heat, companies based in France must also more explicitly integrate this risk into their prevention measures.
But in a factory, changing the schedules of a team can also have an impact on the entire production chain.
Shifting production to cooler hours requires, for example, that maintenance, supplies, quality control, and shipping also be able to adapt. Therefore, it's necessary to consider the entire flow, not just individual workstations.
To prepare for a period of intense heat, an industrial management team must be able to identify the most sensitive operations, critical periods, and any potential dependencies between teams. Some production runs can be brought forward, others postponed, and the most demanding operations concentrated during periods when conditions remain bearable.
Adjust the pace before being subjected to it
Maintaining the exact same production schedule when conditions deteriorate can quickly create more problems than it solves. Conversely, a temporary reduction in production rate, decided and organized in advance, can often prevent an accumulation of delays, incidents, or disorganization.
You also need to look at what this production imposes on the teams, the equipment, and the subsequent steps in the process.
This requires setting priorities: which orders absolutely must be delivered? Which volumes can be postponed? Which customers need to be informed quickly if a deadline changes?
In this type of situation, industrial management directly intersects with commercial management.
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Equipment and processes are also part of the equation
Another difficulty to consider: when external heat is added to that already produced by machines and industrial processes...
The INRS (French National Institute for Research and Safety) clearly identifies heat sources related to machinery and processes as factors to consider in workshops. Depending on the activities, a heatwave may therefore require increased monitoring of certain equipment, cooling systems, or particularly exposed areas.
Obviously, the issue needs to be addressed with the maintenance teams well before any potential heat episodes.
Which equipment is the most sensitive?
What maintenance operations can be anticipated?
Do we have the critical parts or consumables available?
Is there a contingency plan in place in case of equipment failure?
Answering these questions beforehand will allow you to avoid discovering potential weaknesses at the worst possible time...
Production and logistics must work together
A factory can adapt its schedule and still remain blocked a few steps away. Docks heavily exposed, loadings delayed, transport routes modified, suppliers themselves facing the intense heat... The heatwave affects the entire value chain.
ADEME also points out that climatic hazards can affect the company far beyond its own buildings, particularly through suppliers, customers or the infrastructure necessary for its operation.
Industrial companies therefore have every interest in integrating heat episodes into their business continuity scenarios.
This may involve more anticipation of certain deliveries, identification of particularly sensitive supplies, or definition of alternative solutions when usual flows are disrupted.
Moving from a heatwave plan to a well-thought-out adaptation strategy
Today, the summer of 2026 has primarily shown us the limitations of a piecemeal approach. And heat waves are going to become increasingly frequent...
Météo-France is already predicting even more frequent, longer and more intense heat waves in the coming years, as the climate warms.
For industrial sites, the thinking must therefore gradually move beyond the stage of "a plan triggered only when a warning sign appears"...
Buildings, ventilation, cooling, equipment layout, team organization, water and energy consumption, maintenance or design of new investments... All of this must now be taken into account in medium-term industrial decisions.
ADEME already recommends that companies assess their climate risks and develop a genuine adaptation strategy. It advocates actions ranging from one-off measures such as cooling or water management to more profound transformations of buildings, organization, and processes.
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When the organization needs to be reviewed quickly
In some SMEs and mid-sized companies, a heatwave can also reveal pre-existing weaknesses. Production too dependent on a few people, maintenance under pressure, lack of alternative scenarios, insufficient coordination between production and the supply chain...
When these difficulties go beyond the occasional management of the heatwave, an Industrial or Supply Chain Interim Manager can intervene to quickly secure the organization, define priorities and put in place a more robust operation.
The objective therefore goes well beyond the summer of 2026. It is about making the company capable of continuing to produce when the usual conditions are no longer met.
A period of intense heat should not be the time when the weaknesses of one's organization are discovered.
TOPS Ressources supports SMEs and mid-sized companies with experienced Interim Managers to secure production, flows and business continuity.
Let's talk about your industrial challenges!
Sources:
TOPS Ressources, Interim Management in Executive Committee roles: CEO, CFO, HR Director, Supply Chain Manager, Transformation Director, Sales Director...
