Action against 84 companies for violating outdoor working hours rule

Doha: The Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour & Social Affairs, represented by the Labour Inspection Department, conducted intensive inspection campaigns to ensure that companies comply with the provisions of Ministerial Resolution No. 16 of 2007 regarding working hours in outdoor workplaces or work sites that are under direct sunlight.

The field visits by the Ministry’s inspectors to the workplaces from June 18 to July 2 resulted in reporting 84 companies for violations. These sites were closed for three days for violation of the ministerial decision, which prohibits work after 11:30 am till 03:00 pm, during the specified period from June 15 to August 31 of each year.

The decision obliges companies and institutions that have work sites under direct sunlight to set a schedule in which it sets daily working hours in accordance with the provisions of the decision, and to place it in a visible area that is easy for all workers to see, and inspectors can observe during their inspection visits to the workplace, in addition to providing air-conditioned spaces for the workers, cool water, light clothes, and allocating rest periods at different times to protect workers from the risk of heat stress.

The Ministry urged all companies from different sectors to comply with the provisions of the ministerial resolution, and forbid working in exposed/outdoor workplaces under the direct sunlight during this period.