Hotline ready to take reports of mid-day break violations in Oman

Muscat: Mid-day break violations can now be reported via a hotline number, according to the Ministry of Manpower.
“Violations can be reported at 80077000,” Salem Al Saadi, advisor to the Minister of Manpower, told Times of Oman.
On Tuesday, the Ministry of Manpower announced that the mid-day break, for those working in open areas and elevated areas, will begin in June and continue through August.
In the notice, the ministry has called upon establishments and private sector institutions to abide by the provisions of Article 16 of the occupational safety and health regulations, which state that workers must not work at construction sites or in open and elevated areas from 12:30pm to 3:30pm during June, July and August.
In 2015, 391 companies were warned by the ministry for violating the mid-day break rule for outdoor workers in Oman which included 138 businesses in Amerat, 122 in Seeb, 98 in Bausher and 33 in Muttrah.
According to the Article 118 of the Oman Labour Law, violators can be penalised with fines ranging from OMR100 to OMR500, or a jail term of not more than one month, or both. The penalty is doubled for repeat violations.
In the first week of May, Al Saadi told Times of Oman that the mid-day break for workers will begin on June 1, as in previous years. Meanwhile, news reports in United Arab Emirates state that, this year, the mid-day break will begin on June 15 and end on September 16 .
Jason Nicholls, a senior meteorologist at Accuweather.com, said that hotter than normal patterns will persist in the Middle East this week.
In many areas of Oman, temperatures are currently hovering around 45 degree Celsius.
Construction workers at different sites in Muscat said it has become difficult for them to work in the sun.
“It seems this time the summer will be worse. A few minutes in the sun drains our energy,” said Ravi Kumar, an expatriate construction worker in Ruwi.
Mohammed Aslam, another construction worker in Al Khuwair, along with his friends,added that they become dehydrated very quickly and are fearful about the heat during the coming days.