Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development announced on Friday that it is going to ban work under the sun — from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. — for three months, citing a ministerial decision.

The ban, which covers all private sector companies and establishments, comes into force on June 15 (Monday) and will continue until Sept. 15, 2020.

The ministry said the decision aims to preserve the safety and health of workers and employees in the private sector and is in line with its commitment to provide them a healthy and safe work environment and spare them from any risks and harm as part of the safety and occupational health considerations.

The ministerial decision stipulates that it is not permissible to make an employee work in the open under direct sunlight from 12:00 noon till 3:00 in the evening during the period between June 15 and Sept. 15 of each calendar year.

The decision excludes workers in the oil and gas companies, as well as emergency maintenance workers, provided the necessary measures are taken to protect them from the harms of direct sunlight.

The ministry calls upon employers to organize work hours and implement what is stipulated in this decision, as the ministry strives to provide a work environment that is safe from various occupational hazards.

The ministry also aims to raise the level of efficiency and means of prevention so as to reduce occupational injuries and diseases and protect workers from accidents, which will be reflected in improving and increasing the production level.

The decision excludes a number of governorates in some regions of the Kingdom, due to the difference in temperatures that decrease in some regions and governorates to levels that do not require a ban on working in the hours mentioned in the ministerial decision.

The decision calls for coordination with the directors of the subdivisions of the regions to determine the extent of the need to implement the decision in their work areas and the provinces under their jurisdiction, according to the climatic conditions and temperatures prevailing in the region during the prevention period.

The ministry added that it is also possible to enquire and submit a complaint about the violation of the decision via the customer service phone number (19911) or through the "Together for Monitoring" portal https://rasd.ma3an.gov.sa.