Up to 10 cases of heat exhaustion a day among Dubai labourers
Dubai Ambulance reveals alarming figures as it launches project to distribute relief packs to workers
There are as many as 10 cases of heat exhaustion a day among Dubai construction workers during the summer months, according to local ambulance teams.
“Heat exhaustion is a major problem in the summer. We have five to ten cases each day among labourers,” said Mariam Al Baloushi, head of public relations at Dubai Ambulance, according to the 7DAYS newspaper.
Dubai Ambulance revealed the figures as it set out details for a project to distribute relief packs with vitamins, nutrients and first-aid kits. These will be handed out between June and September during visits to work sites.
From June 15, outdoor workers will have a three-hour break between 12.30pm and 3.30pm. However, temperatures can reach the high 40s either side of these times.
Ian Harper, president of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), a British organisation for health and safety professionals worldwide, had earlier praised the way the UAE raised awareness about the dangers of overexposure to the sun.
“People here are very respectful of the sun and I think that’s something where the [institution] can learn a lot from – how to manage people working in the sun here. In the UK, as soon as it’s sunny, we’ll take our clothes off and lie in the sun, which is not appropriate and so we have high skin cancer rates.
“Here, people are a lot more respectful of the sun and how they manage themselves in the sun too,” he told Big Project ME.
