Companies told to follow mid-day break

Pointing out Article 16 of the Ministerial Decision 286/2008, the official said, “It is mandatory that workers must not work from 12.30 pm to 3.30 pm in construction or other open sites exposed to high afternoon temperatures from June to August every year.”

The official said that enforcement squads from the ministry will patrol all governorates to ensure companies follow the rule.

“Violators of the law will be penalised with fines ranging from RO 100 to RO 500, or a jail term of not more than one month, or both.

“The penalty is doubled for repeat violators,” the official said, citing Article 118 of the Labour Law.

At the same time, the official said labourers can be deployed during the break period for carrying out work depending on the nature of the work.

“There are exemptions for technical reasons like emergency or work that is required to be done to avoid public inconvenience,” the official said. “In this case, employers must provide all facilities that cater to the health of workers, including first-aid, sunshades and cold water.”

According to the Meteorology Department, a rise in temperature in the range of 45-49 degrees Celsius was witnessed across the Sultanate in the last couple of days. It has urged people to avoid direct exposure to sunlight and follow instructions in the event of a sunstroke.