Bahrain: As summer working ban lifts in scorching heat, NGO calls on govt. to lengthen & adopt precise measure of climate conditions
"Bahrain’s summer midday work ban concludes, yet the scorching heat persists,"
Bahrain has officially lifted its summer midday work ban...
... these bans are determined by fixed dates and times, rather than actual climate conditions. Bahrain offers the least protection against extreme heat in terms of the number of days it enforces the ban... Bahrain's ban only covers two months between July 1 to August 31.
... [the ban] also only offers limited protection from extreme heat and humidity. It only mandates that workers refrain from working outdoors during ban hours, without addressing the need to provide appropriate shelter for resting workers. For example, there is no requirement for air-conditioned resting areas or air-conditioned transport to and back from accommodation...
Despite officials' claims that the ban is effective in protecting workers, temperatures outside the banned months and midday hours remain extremely high, leaving migrants vulnerable to hyperthermia and other heat-related illnesses...
For many years, civil societies, trade unions, and physicians have advocated for extending the midday ban period to June and September...
Migrant-Rights.Org urges the Bahraini government to promptly broaden the midday summer ban to encompass both June and September while adopting a more precise approach based on the real-time actual Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature index, rather than relying on arbitrary calendar dates and hours.
Additionally, the Bahraini government should take measures to assess pollution and dust levels, in order to ensure that workers who face prolonged outdoor exposure operate within air quality parameters recommended by the World Health Organization. Importantly the ban must cover all workers who work outdoors without affecting their working rights and wages...
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