Bahrain, UAE launch summer hours work ban

A ban on outdoor construction work during the hottest hours of the day comes into force in Bahrain and the UAE on Wednesday.

In Bahrain, it will run until the end of September and prohibits all outdoor work between midday and 4pm, with violators facing fines of up to BD300 for each worker involved.

Around 500 companies, involving nearly 2,000 workers, were taken to court last year after being caught violating the rules, Gulf Daily News reported on Wednesday.

A Labour Ministry Occupational Health and Safety section official told the paper around 50 inspectors would be monitoring worksites around Bahrain to ensure the ban was being enforced.

Labourers in the UAE will also be banned from working on construction sites in the UAE between 12.30 and 3pm until August 31 following a resolution issued by Labour Minister Saqr Gobash to cut working summer working hours.

In Qatar, the summer restrictions came into force on June 15.

Last week, it was reported that more than 70 workers have required hospital treatment for heat exhaustion in the space of seven days on the eve of the ban coming into effect.

Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC) doctors said they had seen a steady increase in patients with around 10 a day reporting to the Accident and Emergency Department.

The summer work ban was first implemented in 2007 following orders from the Cabinet with site accidents dropping by 50 per cent during July and August in 2007, as compared with 2006.

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