Qatar mid-day work ban is lifted as the summer dials down

Doha: The Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs (MADLSA) has announced the end of the summer prohibition on outdoor labour between the hours of 10 am and 3.30 pm, which has been in effect since the beginning of June in Qatar. Until September 15, the ban was in place.

The labour inspection department has been doing extensive checks on companies to ensure that they observe the specified times and take precautions against heat stress, such as providing workers with shaded resting areas that are easy to access and effective in protecting against radiation. A total of 338 companies, most of which work in the quarrying sector, were found to have violated the rules during the Ministry’s field inspections, which took place from June 1 to September 15 in Qatar. Workers are protected from the dangers of heat stress through legal safeguards.

The ministry advised employers to continue spreading the word on workplace health and safety. They urged employers and workers alike, to build joint strategies to assess heat stress risk, mitigate its effects, and update them on a regular basis, as well as provide heat stress training for all workers in order to reduce the likelihood of heat stress occurring in the workplace.