Health and Safety Summer Campaign

The 2013 Safe and Healthy Summer campaign was launched recently by Dubai Municipality through the Public Health and Safety Department. Now on its 7th year, this program is aimed to increase the awareness level of all affected workers and employers especially those directly exposed to the heat of the sun and to encourage them to implement safety precautions to avoid heat related illnesses such as Heat stress and Heat stroke. Also, the Safe and Healthy Summer campaign supports the Ministerial Order no. 688 of 2013 issued the Ministry of Labour, which mandates the mid-day break rule. This means that no worker is allowed to work under the direct exposure to the sun between 12:30 PM to 3:00 PM from June 15, 2013 to September 15, 2013. Failure to comply with such order may result to issuance of notice of violation or imposition of fines. Employers are required to provide the following at the worksite during summer: cold drinking water or other hydration drinks, provision of shelter or shed for resting, industrial ventilation in resting areas and first aid kit and first aider among other things. For its part, Dubai Municipality, distributes educational materials such as flyers, brochures, and posters related to Safe and Healthy Summer campaign including Fire Safety Awareness to all private companies and industrial premises and other government offices. They also conduct seminars and short sessions to identified stakeholders such as construction companies, Dubai Municipality Departments, Dubai Police, etc. to maximize the coverage of the said awareness campaign.