JEDDAH — The Ministry of Labor's Makkah branch recorded 250 violations of regulations prohibiting outdoor work between noon and 3 p.m., and has penalized the companies involved. The branch's director general, Abdullah Al-Olayyan, said all of the ministry's inspectors in the region carried out field campaigns to detect such violations since the ban came into effect on June 15. The ban covers both commercial and government projects, including the construction of housing complexes and any sites where employees work under direct sunlight. Al-Olayyan added that the 250 employees were from different firms. He said the inspection tours are being carried out due to the ministry's keenness to provide a safe work environment, to raise the efficiency of occupational safety and to protect employees from hazards and accidents. He called for the cooperation of all parties by not forcing employees to work during the ban period in order to protect their safety and stressed that inspections would be intensified. The ministerial decision defining the ban calls for fines ranging from SR3,000 to SR10,000 for companies that violate the law. Al-Olayyan said penalties also include shutting down firms completely, or a combination of closure and fines. He appealed to the public to report such violations by calling its unified client service telephone number 9911.
