Dubai: A mandatory midday break for labourers who work in the sun during the summer months will start from June 15, according to the Ministry of Labour. The decision issued by the Ministry says that companies will have to give a two-and-a-half hour break from 12.30pm to 3pm to labourers who work in open areas such as construction sites.
The three-month midday break rule will start from June 15 until September 15 this year.
The ministry stated that daily working hours must not exceed eight hours in the morning or night shifts, and overtime should be paid to those working additional hours.
According to the ministry’s decision the labourers must not work at all during the banned hours if they usually work outside. But companies working on emergency projects can continue work without the need to apply to the ministry to become exempt from the midday ban.
A senior official from Ministry of labour said yesterday the ministry clarifies which establishments are exempted from the midday break this year.
The Ministry of Labour stated that companies doing works which must continue for technical reasons are exempt from the ban, Workers can continue in banned hours if they are working on projects that cannot be postponed for technical reasons such as repairing damages in water pipes, petrol pipes, sewage pipes or on the disconnection of electrical lines.
This also includes those working on projects licensed from governmental departments which could affect the movement of traffic if the work should stop for few hours, or also that which could effect electrical, water supplies or etisalat.
According to the decision companies doing technical work are exempted and can continue work without interruption during the period of banned hours and workers can perform work under the sun and outdoors.
Under the administrative decision issued yesterday by Mubarak Saeed Al Dahiri, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Labour, the businesses excluded from banned working hours include work on mix asphalt poured concretes if it is impossible to implement or supplemented the necessary work in one day or doing work to prevent expected danger or reparation or damage or malfunction or loss and also emergency work, including cutting lines, water supply, sewerage, electricity and cut off traffic or blocking public roads in addition to cut gas pipelines or petroleum.
It also includes exceptions to the business which requires the implementation of a permit from the government because of their impact on the flow of traffic and services and that if it is required that the work must be around the clock and which could affect communication lines, cut lines and power supply and any other similar kind of work.
Al Dahiri said in case the establishment must continue work they must provide cold drinking water to the workers and there must be limited number of workers only in addition to all kind of safety requirements and public health requirements.
The workers must be supplied salt and lemon, which is approved for use by Health authorities in the country. Any they must provide first aid at the work site and there must be appropriate industrial and protective umbrellas from the sun.
According to Mohsin Ali Al Mansi, Director of Inspection section at the ministry the employers who should work during banned hours for technical reasons will not be required to apply for permits of exemption from the ministry, noting that the inspection teams that will pursue the application of the ban will mean ensuring the compatibility of the businesses with the ministry’s design.
“Those who need to work during the banned hours and their kind of work is not mentioned with this design they must visit the ministry of labour for moor information,” he said.
“Companies must check with the ministry to find out if they are excluded from the design or not,” he said.
He said all employers must comply with requirements needed for workers who perform work without stop and to prevent them from heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
“There is a need to provide everything required by the decision in this regard due to the fact that these requirements protect the workers from dangers,” he said.
Al Mansi added employers are demanded to provide all facilities that cater to the health of workers including first aid, air-conditioners, sunshades and cold water.
Employers who have labourers working on projects exempt from the rules must be provided with enough cold water, lemon, salt and healthy salads during working hours.
Employers are also instructed to provide a shaded area for workers to rest in during the midday break and employers must provide adequate preventive methods to protect workers from work-related injuries.
