ShareBy Faten Omar
KUWAIT: The Public Authority of Manpower (PAM) on Wednesday launched a sudden inspection campaign at open worksites in southern Abdullah Al-Mubarak on the first day of the ban on working in open areas from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm from June till August. Hamad Al-Mekhyal, Head of the Occupational Safety Department in Jahra Governorate of the Public Authority for Manpower, said in a press statement that the decision aims at organizing work and protecting laborers, adding inspection teams will keep carrying out sudden tours of more of 30 worksites to spot any violations.
Mekhyal stressed administrative decision number 535/2015 is in compliance with international labor standards and agreements approved by Kuwait to protect worker rights, adding such laws aim to safeguard the health of workers, especially since working in open areas at noon during the period between early June and the end of August is difficult because of the harsh climatic conditions.
"In the event of a violation, the company will be warned, given a grace period, and the worksite will be reinspected. If the violation persists, legal action will be taken, resulting in fines ranging from KD 100 to KD 200 per worker, paid by the business owners," he noted. Mekhyal explained the implementation of the decision means the obligation of employers to ensure the health and safety of all their workers, as well as keenness to adhere to the rules and regulations of the labor law.
He pointed out that the authority is keen on the safety of workers without harming projects and the interests of their owners, explaining that owners can shift working hours in the early hours of the morning or after 4 pm in the afternoon. Mekhyal stressed the inspection teams will conduct continuous campaigns over a period of three months at worksites to monitor violations, calling on people to contact a hotline (99523590) to report any violation.
He said that the decision will force business owners to guarantee the health and safety of all workers at worksites and will oblige them to abide by international work regulations and subsidiary laws. The inspection teams toured 50 worksites and registered 40 violations, with 32 workers working on the sites during the ban hours.
