Ministry Of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs

The Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs, represented by the Labour Inspection Department, carried out thorough inspection campaigns during the month of July, in order to ensure that companies adhere to the Ministerial Decision No. (17) of 2021 regarding the necessary precautions to protect workers from heat stress in open work sites during the summer period, where it is determined that jobs and tasks performed under the sun, outdoor areas, or in unshaded and unventilated work sites are prohibited between 10:00 am – 03:30 pm, starting from 1st of June to 15th of September of each year.

The field visits carried out by the Ministry’s inspectors at work sites during the period from 1 -31 July found (106) companies in violation of the Decision, most of which work in the contracting sector in various regions of the country, which resulted in the closure of work sites for a period of three days. The Ministry also worked during the month of June to close (232) work sites for not adhering to the appropriate precautions.

In this context, companies must abide by the Ministerial Decision No. (17) of 2021, and employers should put a schedule for workers in a visible place showing the daily working hours in accordance with the provisions of this Decision, where labour inspectors can observe said schedule during their inspection visits.

Employers should provide an appropriate work environment for workers as well as free drinking water to all workers at an appropriate temperature throughout the work period, allocate shaded resting places that are easily accessible to workers, and it should be effective in protecting against sunlight and high temperatures during the break hours. They should also provide workers with personal protective equipment suitable for the hot weather, including warm clothes, light and loose-fitting clothes to protect them from the risk of heat stress.

Accordingly, the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs calls on all companies in various sectors to abide by the Ministerial Decision to avoid the workplace being subject to partial or total closure, due to non-compliance with the precautions that must be in place to protect workers from heat stress at work sites during the summer, whether for work performed under the sun or outdoor workspaces.