Bahrain’s Labour and Social Development Ministry has announced that all preparations have been made to begin supervision of the implementation of ministerial edict 39/2013, which focuses on banning outdoor afternoon work in the months of July and August.
According to a report by BNA, the annual ban prohibits outdoor work from midday until 4PM during the months of July and August, and aims to safeguard workers’ health, ensuring their safety again heat exhaustion and sunstroke. Furthermore, it aims to prevent summer-related diseases and to reduce occupational incidents in view of the increasing temperatures and humidity, in line with the Kingdom’s commitment to human rights principles, especially regarding the need to provide secure and healthy work environments.
The report added that the Labour Ministry has launched an awareness campaign, urging employers and workers to comply with the provisions of the edict.
In this regard, the Ministry has distributed multilingual brochures, leaflets and posts including information about the negative effects of high temperatures on workers’ safety and health, as well as on their productivity.
It has also conducted virtual workshops aimed at promoting the culture of protecting workers’ safety and health at work sites in summer.
In a statement, Labour and Social Development Minister, Jameel bin Mohammed Ali Humaidan, affirmed that Bahrain is a leader in ensuring secure and safe work environment for workers, out of its keenness on their safety and health at various production sites, noting that the implementation of outdoor afternoon work ban is the best means to achieve that goal.
The minister pointed out that an average of 98% of private sector companies had complied with the ban in the past years, which “proves the employers’ commitment to ensuring a safe and decent work environment for employees.”
Under Edict 39/2013, a jail term not exceeding three months, and/or a BD500-BD1000 ($1318 to $2636) fine, is the penalty for violators.
Ali Humaidan pledged zero tolerance against violators, noting that in case the violation is repeated, the penalty will be doubled, as stipulated by the ministerial edict.