20,000 Kuwaiti firms violate safety rules - report

LAW VIOLATIONS: Construction workers in Kuwait have been forced to work in searing heat. (AFP - for illustrative purposes only)

Around 20,000 companies in Kuwait are violating basic health and safety regulations, according to a new report by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour's (MSAL) work inspection department.

It has warned that a large number of firms in Kuwait's industrial and commercial sector are dicing with disaster due to their failure to observe basic safety procedures.

A new report issued by the department shows that inspections of facilities revealed that around 20,000 industrial and commercial businesses were violating professional safety standards and displaying negligence towards their duty of care for staff in the past year, Kuwait Times reported on Sunday, citing Al-Qabas.

The report showed that 3,313 workers were injured in accidents at work during that period, with the accidents including falls on construction sites, fires, misuse of construction equipment and exposure to toxic chemicals.

The report also revealed that the department had suspended the licenses of 7,089 companies violating safety regulations which failed to provide lists of their registered workers.

The report also said that a large number of workers were forced to work outdoors in the searing daytime summer heat in contravention of the country's labour laws.

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READERS' COMMENTS

MSAL
Posted by HSE GUY IN KUWAIT on Monday 7 September 2009 at 07:37 UAE time


MSAL SHOULD ONLY COUNT THE 1 OR 2 COMPANIES THAT RESPECT HUMAN LIFE. HOW MANY CONSTRUCION PEOPLE ARE KILLED EVERY DAY IN ACCIDENTS ? TOO MANY SO NOT REPORTED.

THIS WILL NEVER CHANGE AS LONG AS THERE IS NO MONEY FINE FOR NON-COMPLIANCE. AND THERE NEVER WILL BE BECAUSE OF RAMPANT CORRUPTION HERE.

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