In this March 2014 file photo, construction workers are seen at a government project in Sakaka. Under a Ministry of Labor rule that is in effect from June 15 to Sept. 15, 2014, companies are forbidden from making laborers work under the sun from 12 noon to 3 p.m.

Undersecretary of the Ministry of Labor for Inspection and Developing Work Environment Abdullah Abu Thinaiyan confirmed that 187 establishments have received warnings for being in violation of the decision to ban work under direct sunshine which took effect earlier last week across the Kingdom.

The violations involved making 484 workers work at noon and in the afternoons when the temperatures soar to 42 degrees and above.

Thinaiyan said the inspection teams of the ministry in Riyadh detected 96 establishments in violation of the decision. They found that 178 workers were working under direct sunshine.

The teams also found an additional 42 establishments in the Eastern Province which were involved in making 129 laborers work under the sun.

In Unaiza, 18 establishments were found forcing 71 workers to work in violation of the decision.
The undersecretary stressed on the fact that the work environment must be developed and that violators of the regulation to ban work under direct sunshine should be punished.

The regulation was applied with immediate effect in mid-June and will extend until mid-September.
Breaching the decision involves a fine of SR3,000 to SR10,000 or closing down the facility for not less than 30 days or permanently. Violators could face both the financial penalty and the closing down of their establishment.

Thinaiyan said the regulation stems from the ministry’s concern for the safety of the workers in view of the harsh weather conditions that might jeopardize the health and safety of the laborers.

The ministry strives to secure a safe working environment, boost levels of competence, limit injuries at the workplace and protect workers from work accidents.