Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — The Ministry of Labor has reissued directives requiring companies to stop their workers from working under the direct sunlight during the sweltering summer heat. Initially issued two years ago, the ban, which prohibits work under the sun between noon to 3 p.m., has largely been ignored by companies, Al-Riyadh newspaper reported. With only a wet cloth wrapped around their heads to provide some relief from the unrelenting summer heat, construction workers and other labor-intensive professionals are forced to work during the hottest part of the day without any sympathy or concern by their employers. According to Labor Law Article 236, violators of the midday work ban face fines up to SR10,000 or temporary closure of their business for a period not exceeding 30 days and in some cases, a complete closure of the business. Last year, workers could be seen openly working under the sun, particularly during the month of Ramadan, and not one company was believed to have been fined or penalized. This year, the Ministry of Labor is expected to conduct field inspection tours to monitor violating companies and to ensure that workers do not wok more than the required eight hours without receiving overtime. Workers who are forced to work under the sun are at risk of heat stroke, a condition which causes muscle spasms and results in the loss of large quantities of salts from the body. If body temperatures continue to rise, untreated heatstroke can cause brain, liver, kidney and muscle damage. Forcing workers to work under sunlight also increases their chances of getting skin cancer. While certain jobs can be exempted from the Ministry of Labor's directive, companies must ask for approval and provide their workers with sufficient quantities of water, salts, first aid kits and shaded areas.
