Midday work ban comes into force

The Ministry of Labor and Social Development announced that midday work ban has come into force from Friday (June 15). Khaled Abal Khail, spokesman of the ministry, said that no one should be allowed to work under direct sunlight from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. during the three-month period ending on Sept. 15. All employers have been instructed to ensure that their workers stay out of sun for three hours during the period, the Saudi Press Agency reported quoting the spokesman as saying.

Abal Khail said the ministry is keen on protecting the safety and health of workers in the private sector and providing them with a secure working environment, away for exposure to any health hazards. He said there will be exemption for outdoor work ban in some regions of the Kingdom in view of low temperatures in those regions. “The ministry is coordinating with the governorates of those regions with regard to taking a decision whether to ban work under sun or not,” he said. Abal Khail called on citizens to report complaints or violations to the ministry via the customer service (No.19911) or customer service twitter account (MLSD_care).