Executing (6315) inspection visits and violating (27) facilities violated since the decision was implemented in early July
09-08-2020
His Excellency the Minister of Labour and Social Development, Jameel bin Mohammed Ali Humaidan, conducted an unannounced field tour on Sunday afternoon to several construction sites to monitor compliance with Ministerial Resolution No. 3 of 2013, which bans outdoor work under direct sunlight between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. throughout July and August. Ministry officials and occupational‑safety supervisors accompanied him. During the visit, Humaidan met work‑site supervisors and reviewed the measures their companies have adopted to create safe working environments for employees, heighten preventive protocols to reduce occupational injuries and strengthen first‑aid training programmes that help avert workplace accidents. The Ministry of Labour and Social Development has carried out 6,315 inspection visits since the midday work‑ban took effect at the start of July; only 27 establishments have been fined and 37 workers found in breach of the regulation to date, with all violators being referred to the judiciary for further legal action. Humaidan hailed the firms he visited for respecting the midday work‑ban, noting that the measure carries clear humanitarian benefits and, at the same time, boosts productivity—a view now widely shared by private‑sector employers. Most companies routinely adjust work schedules each summer to keep projects on track while protecting site crews. Safeguarding workers’ health and safety is, he stressed, a shared priority; consequently, the Ministry will step up inspections, pursue any breaches it detects and apply the penalties laid down in Article 192 of the Labour Law for the Private Sector, including fines of BHD 500 – 1,000 and/or imprisonment for up to three months. The Minister added that Bahrain’s rigorous focus on occupational safety has placed the Kingdom among the world’s leaders in workforce protection and helped foster an internationally respected, investor‑friendly labour environment. National legislation, aligned with international labour standards, mandates robust safeguards—an imperative during Bahrain’s hot, humid summers, when heat stress, sunstroke and exhaustion pose serious risks to outdoor workers. Continual enforcement of the midday ban, combined with employer cooperation, ensures that these risks are minimised and that employment stability and productivity are maintained across all production sites. The ministerial decision on the prohibition of noon work stipulates that "anyone who violates the provisions of this decision shall be punished by the penalties stipulated in Article (192) of the Labour Law in the Private Sector, promulgated by Law No. (36) of 2012. It also stipulates that anyone who violates any of the provisions of Chapter (15) and the decisions issued in implementation thereof shall be punished by imprisonment for a period not exceeding three months and a fine of not less than BD500 and not more than BD1000, or one of these two penalties."