Two-month afternoon outdoor work ban begins July 1

Manama, June 24 (BNA): Bahrain will ban outdoor work during the afternoons in July and August.

The Ministry of Labor said that the ban on working under direct sunlight and in open spaces will continue from midday until 4 p.m.

The ministry added that the aim is to protect workers and ensure their safety from heat stress, sunstroke and various summer diseases, and to reduce occupational accidents during the hot months of the year.

The Ministry of Labor launched an awareness campaign and urged everyone to comply with the provisions of the decree. It also distributed multilingual brochures and pamphlets containing instructions and information on the impact of high temperatures on the safety and health of workers while performing their duties. He also briefed the health and safety supervisors in the private sector establishments on the requirements to protect workers from summer-related diseases and work accidents.

Labor Minister Jamil bin Muhammad Ali Humaidan affirmed, in a statement, that the Kingdom of Bahrain is a pioneer in ensuring a safe and sound work environment for workers, out of concern for their safety and health in various production sites, noting that the implementation of the afternoon shift in the open air. Work ban is the best way to achieve this goal.

He called on private institutions to intensify their efforts to raise workers’ awareness of summer diseases, highlight the dangers of excessive work under the summer heat, provide health care and first aid, as well as find ways to reduce exposure to heat and humidity.

The minister praised the private sector companies’ compliance with the ban during the past years, which confirms employers’ commitment to ensuring a safe and decent work environment for employees, and pledged not to tolerate violators.

The minister stressed that work on existing projects will not be affected by the ban, and that they will be completed at the specified times, especially since companies have to reschedule work schedules during the ban period, according to Humaidan.

Under Article (192) of Law No. 36 of 2012 promulgating the Labor Law in the Private Sector, violators shall be punished with imprisonment for a period not exceeding three months and/or a fine of 500 Bahraini Dinars to 1000 Bahraini Dinars.

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