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Midday break: Abu Dhabi to intensify inspections

ABU DHABI - In collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Environment Agency — Abu Dhabi, the Abu Dhabi Municipality has geared up to intensify inspections at construction sites to ensure the implementation of midday break rules for workers.

The midday break rule came into force across the country on Wednesday and will continue till September 15 to ensure that workers at construction sites get a two-and-a-half hour break from working everyday between 12.30pm and 3pm.

Salah Awad Al Sarraj, acting Executive Director of Town Planning Sector at the municipality, said the municipality is aiming at providing a safe working environment at construction sites.

Al Sarraj said the midday break decision also reflected the attention of the public entities to maintain the life and health of employees and apply the highest human and health standards capable of providing the required protection for employees working in areas prone to direct sunlight.

Along with inspection campaigns, the municipality also launched a comprehensive educative programme to explain the components of the decision banning work at noon.

A workshop, attended by more than 550 consultants, contractors and developers, was held recently to raise the awareness of proper health standards and procedures and the safe working environment. Educative and directional brochures and pamphlets were also distributed at construction sites.

Abdul Aziz Zurub, Director of Health, Safety and Environment at the municipality, said a huge educative campaign is being rolled out aimed at training and educating engineers and workers at construction sites in cooperation with contractors, consultants, developers and strategic partners to broaden the scope of awareness among workers and contractors as well.

Protection from sunlight

Zurub said the municipality is also taking appropriate preventive measures to maintain the health and safety of employees and plenty of procedures such as raising employees awareness of risks of working under direct sunlight and methods of protection from heat stress.

It also called for the provision of protective shelters and rest areas, drinking water, proper industrial cooling means and liquids and materials that help body perfusion such as lemon, salt and other materials approved by the competent health authorities, in addition to the provision of First Aid kits at workplaces, Zurub said.

Actions against offenders

Inspection teams will keep construction sites under constant surveillance and serve offenders with first notices. If contractors or consultants continue to flout the said law, strict measures will be taken.
It might be as tough as total shut down of the project operations, Zurub said. The firm could be remained closed until all reasons of the offence are removed and verified by the prescribed health and safety
standards, Zurub said.

anwar@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE