Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre (ADPHC), the region’s first dedicated centre protecting the physical, mental, and social wellbeing of Abu Dhabi’s population by raising public and preventative healthcare awareness, relaunched its annual "Safety in Heat" program coinciding with the decision to prohibit work during midday hours in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The program sets clear guidelines on working outdoors between the hours of 12:30pm to 3:00pm for a duration of three months from June 15 to September 15 of every year.
Part of its annual calendar of initiatives, ADPHC’s “Safety in Heat” program aims to raise awareness among employers and supervisors on the importance of taking the necessary measures to protect workers from heat and avoid exposure to heat stress. The program also focuses on educating workers about the risks of being under the sun during midday, and ways to avoid the negative implications of sun exposure.
H.E. Matar Saeed Rashed Al Nuaimi, Director General of Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre, said: "Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre launches the “Safety in Heat” program every year to educate workers and employers about the importance of adhering to the rules and regulations around mid-day working hours to ensure workers’ safety and protect against illnesses and injuries resulting from heat stress. The program reflects our commitment to all aspects of public health and the focus we place on occupation health and safety in Abu Dhabi. By working closely with strategic partners across various multiple sectors in Abu Dhabi, including construction, waste, energy, tourism, culture, health, transportation, and food sectors, we are able to reach a large number of workers and apply our programs to the highest health and safety standards.
As part of the program, ADPHC provides a variety of educational material in different languages and provides advice and counsel to businesses to ensure they are adhering to the regulations.
ADPHC urges all related businesses in Abu Dhabi with operations that place workers under direct sun exposure to familiarise themselves with the requirements of the “Safety in Heat” Program and implement them. It also recommends ensuring the development of proper health control measures to protect workers from heat stress, as well as the distribution of responsibilities and the provision of necessary trainings for all concerned people.
Moreover, ADPHC calls on all businesses to communicate the instructions on eating healthy food, drinking water, taking breaks, and wearing suitable personal protective equipment and others, in the places where workers gather to preserve their safety and health, and to use the awareness materials provided by ADPHC.
