What electrical safety precautions are necessary?
Labour laws and ministerial decrees issued in this regard oblige employers to take many precautionary measures, most important being:
- Electrical distribution panels must be placed in safe and easy to use locations, switches must be of non-sparking type.
- Conducting regular check on cables, wirings, and connections.
What fire protection precautions are mandatory?
Employer must take precautionary measures to prevent fire, in accordance with the direction of authorities, and according to the nature of activities in the work place and the nature of production materials. Care must be taken as following:
- Providing enough emergency exits, installing alarms with necessary training on use.
- Abiding by necessary technical standards in constructing ovens, boilers and other sources of heat, insulating hot gas pipes and internal combustion engines exhausts.
- Prohibiting smoking in work areas and punishing anyone who does not abide by the prohibition.
- Leaving enough space between work units to prevent the occurrence of fire, especially in areas containing flammable material and not leaving any fire source in these areas.
- Educating workers on fire sources and methods of fire prevention and training them on how to use fire extinguishers.
What precautions must be taken against natural hazards?
Employers must take necessary precautionary measures against natural hazards, the most important being the following:
- Stopping work at noon time in open areas during summer -- from 15th of July to 31st of August -- so that morning working hours do not exceed five hours a day and do not extend beyond 11:30 am.
In the afternoon, work must not start before 3pm, and employer must keep a schedule directing this in an obvious place so that it can be read and seen by labour inspectors during their inspection visits.
- Workers must be provided with protective gloves, socks, shoes, and heavy clothes in winter.
- They must be provided with protective coats during the rainy seasons
- They must provide you with head cover and cold drinking water during work in open areas.
What are the conditions for working in remote areas?
The following areas are considered remote areas:
Dukhan, Um Bab, Messsaied, Northern area, Halul island and any other area which is 15 kilometer away from the borders of any city or village.
- Employers having workers in remote areas must provide the following:
- Appropriate transportation or accommodation, or both
- Drinking water
- Appropriate provision of food or means for providing this
- First Aid supplies
- Except food, all above must be paid for by employer. Worker should not bear any cost for them.
How is medical care organised in establishments?
- Medical examination for establishment workers
- Laboratory tests, and X-ray
- Providing necessary medicine for treatment out of hospitals
- Immunisation of workers against common ailments, according to directions issued by the National Health Authority in this regard
- Installing First Aid Box and providing it with necessary medicines and appliances
- In establishments with more than 100 workers, the employer is bound to appoint a nurse, and if there are more than 500 workers, he must establish a clinic with one doctor and at least two nurses, with all necessary medical supplies and a room for first aid treatment.
Obligations of Workers
What are your obligations to your employer?
- Employers have the right to transfer you from one place of work to another or from one type of work to another, provided that the new work does not differ substantially from the one agreed on and do not imply abuse, difference in wages or breach of contract clauses
- You must be present at your work site on the set time for beginning of work and not leave before the time decided
- You must not stop working or leave work area during working hours without permission from your supervisor
- You are not allowed to enter the work site any time other than working hours, unless you have written permission and submit it to the person in charge at the entrance
- You must obey your superior’s directions in regard to work and execute them precisely at all times
- Your relation with your colleagues at work must be good and based on understanding and compassion
- It is prohibited for you to accept gifts or reward from others in return for doing something that is part of your duties
- It is prohibited for you to seek support or distribute papers for any purpose without written permission from the establishment administration
- It is prohibited for you to work for another employer even at your leisure hours and you must do your work carefully and take care of equipment and tools
- If there is a malfunction in equipment or tools, do not try to repair or even fix it, rather you must inform your supervisor about the faulty machine
- You must not pay any fees or make any other payments to anybody unless it is a decision made by the establishment
- You must not reveal industrial or work secrets or any matter related to the work and activity of the establishment
- It is prohibited for you to do anything that may undermine the safety or vocational health precautions.
Excerpts from Handbook Of Workers’ Rights published by National Human Rights Committee.
