A total of 380 firms violated Bahrain's summer work ban this year. During the last two weeks of the ban, which ended on Sunday, 114 violations were registered involving 259 labourers.

Labour Ministry officials have inspected 19,597 sites in all five governorates since July, of which 911 workers from 380 companies were forced to work during the ban hours, said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

Bahrain prohibits all outdoor work between mid-day and 4 pm during July and August to protect the workforce from potentially fatal heat-related medical conditions.

"The summer work ban recorded a compliance of 98.06 per cent," said Labour Minister Jameel Humaidan in a statement yesterday.

“Bahrain's decision of summer work ban reflects the country's commitment to a work-culture based on human rights.

“The commitment to the resolution by businesses is encouraging and it is good to see that they have accepted the decision and its noble purpose, which is to create a safe working environment for employees amid heat stress during summer.”

He also stressed the importance of strengthening co-operation between the ministry and the private sector to ensure safety of workers.

“We need to work towards the development of the work environment in order to avoid the occurrence of occupational injuries as much as possible throughout the year, than limiting it to summer months,” he added.

“The compliance with the ban has shown positive impact on individuals and institutions, and has also helped to raise the levels of production and profitability.”

All violators will face prosecution and punishment including up to three months in prison and fines between BD500 and BD1,000 ($1,289 and $2,578) for each worker found working outdoors by inspectors.

The GDN earlier reported that 70 per cent of the violations during July were registered in construction sites in the capital. - TradeArabia News Service