Ministry of Labour Takes Precautions to Protect Workers from Heat

In order to prepare for the implementation of ministerial resolution 17 of 2021 on precautions to protect workers from the risk of heat stress during the summer season, from June 1 to September 15, the Ministry of Labour has begun implementing awareness campaigns on the dangers of heat stress during working hours.

Work in open outdoor workplaces and shaded places without proper ventilation is disallowed in the morning from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with workers returning to open outdoor workplaces in the evening after 3:30 p.m.

The decision requires companies and institutions with work locations in direct sunlight to post a schedule in a visible location that is accessible to all workers and to determine daily working hours in compliance with the resolution's terms.

In this context, the ministry's inspection teams have been conducting an annual awareness campaign since the middle of this month, in advance of the summer ban on open work, by distributing awareness leaflets to workers in various workplaces across the country and holding seminars and awareness meetings for workers and companies.

The ministry urged business owners not to disregard the decision's provisions and the need to implement them in order to protect workers' safety and health during the summer months, warning that companies that do so will face legal consequences.

In the next months, the task force will conduct field visits to company sites to check that they are complying with the resolution's stipulations.

The ministry's desire to guarantee the health and safety of people in the workplace has led to the implementation of these annual measures, which include the provision of work equipment that meets the highest requirements of occupational safety and health.

Mr. Hussein Al Hababi, Director of the Department of Labour Inspection, stated that the Ministry of Labour makes annual awareness efforts prior to the implementation of the decision to ban work in open spaces during the summer months, emphasizing that the application of the heat stress decision is critical to ensuring worker safety and creating a healthy and safe working environment.

According to him, the Ministry of Labour's efforts over the years through awareness campaigns and preventive measures have helped to reduce the number of persons suffering from heat stress-related ailments.

Mr. Zayed Suhail Al Mazrouei, head of the Ministry of Labour's occupational safety and health department, said that during the summer, all employers must assess workplace risks and conduct necessary medical examinations for workers to check their health, emphasizing the importance of all companies implementing precautionary measures to protect workers from the risks of heat stress.

Inspection teams will take all legal measures against companies that violate the decision's provisions, including closing work sites, according to Al Mazrouei. Companies that follow the law and the resolution, which aims to reduce injuries and ensure a safe working environment, will be praised.