Wednesday, September 7, 2022 – 5:49 PM
ABU DHABI, 7th September / WAM / The Municipality of Abu Dhabi City implemented a field campaign that included construction sites, with the aim of raising public awareness of the requirements for applying safety standards in the heat and protecting workers from the dangers of exposure to sunlight in the summer and heat stress, and in implementation of Resolution No. 42 of 2009 Related to the implementation of the occupational health and safety system at the emirate level, and Resolution No. 401 of 2015 regarding determining working hours at noon issued by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, which requires that work stop hours for work performed under sunlight and in open places should be set from 12:00: 30 noon until 3:00 pm, and it continues for three months, starting from June 15 to September 15 annually.
During the visits, the specialists in the Environment, Health and Safety Department were keen to provide a practical explanation to remind the workers and those in charge of the construction sites about the timing of the noon work ban and the importance of adhering to this decision in order to preserve the safety and public health of workers, and to promote human values, which are a top priority in the UAE. The fieldwork provided a practical explanation of the necessity of providing workers with fluids continuously during working hours in order to avoid the risk of exhaustion, dehydration and other effects of the lack of fluids in the workers’ bodies.
And the specialists in the Department of Environment, Health and Safety gave an explanation about giving workers a break that would help them rejuvenate and maintain the efficiency of their bodies and their general health.
The campaign focused its awareness-raising efforts on the dangers of working during the afternoon at the time of the high temperature during the summer and ways to prevent them, and how to deal with emergency cases. It also focused on safe work methods, and the need to distribute perfusion solutions to workers in the sites to overcome the symptoms of heat stress. The campaign touched on the importance of adhering to this decision to preserve the occupational safety and health of workers in construction and construction sites.
It is noteworthy that the law to stop work at noon during the summer is one of the preventive measures that characterize the United Arab Emirates among the countries of the world, as all companies, especially construction companies, are obligated to stop work completely during the noon period for a period of three months, and it is also imposed Heavy fines for companies that do not comply with the instructions and laws.
Wam / Reem Al-Hajri / Abdel Nasser Moneim