80 firms violated summer work ban

Manama : A total of 80 establishments in the Kingdom flouted the summer work ban, which is in force since July 1, a top Labour Ministry official said yesterday. 

“Legal actions were taken against the violating establishments,” Labour Affairs Undersecretary in Labour and Social Development Ministry, Sabah Al Dossary, said adding that the Ministry’s inspectors found “155 labourers from 80 establishments working during the ban period”. 

The two-month long ban prohibits companies from making their workers performing any tasks outside direct sunlight from 12 pm to 4 pm. The ban, imposed since 2007, aims at protecting workers from heat-related illness such as heat exhaustion and heatstroke when temperatures soar above 40-degree Celsius. Temperatures in the Kingdom usually exceed 46-degree Celsius during the period. 

The companies caught violating the ban are required to pay fines ranging from BD500 to BD1,000 for each of the workers found working during the ban hours. Labourers are permitted to work only a maximum of 5 hours outdoor in the morning, which means that the Ministry will collect at least BD77,500 in fines from the violators. 

Al Dossary, however, said that the “summer work ban has recorded a compliance of 98 per cent this year”.

This, according to Al Dossary, comes as a result of the cooperation shown by companies in the construction sector and the awareness campaigns held among workers. 

“We appreciate the embassies for raising awareness among their citizens. There are around 150,000 workers, who are directly affected by the ban,” he added. 

Al Dossary said that the Ministry is coordinating with the Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Ministry to update the list of outdoor construction work sites in the Kingdom.