HOFUF, 27 June 2006 — Construction workers, maintenance men and cleaners in the Ahsa Province are calling for the authorities to pass a law directing employers to stop open-air work from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. during the summer months, Al-Watan newspaper reported yesterday.

The workers have urged the authorities to pass a law that would force companies from sending workers to construction sites because of potential health hazards.

Many workers suffer from sunstroke because of spending long hours in the sun.

Workers have suggested the companies stop work in the day hours especially in the summer months of June, July and August. It has been suggested that companies provide lights to work after sunset, as is the case in the month of Ramadan.

Shafeeq Ahmad, a South Asian, has been working in the construction business in Ahsa for more than two years and finds the heat unbearable during the summer when the temperature reaches more than 45 degrees in the afternoon.

He said, “Working with wood, iron and cement in the heat is difficult. There is no way we can work at this time.”

Ahmad Mustapha, an Arab, felt that the quality of work done during the winter months is better than what is done in the summer. “Workers are forced to finish their work to satisfy their supervisors without taking into consideration the quality of work,” he said.

“We are fighting the heat by drinking a lot of water and staying in shaded areas as much as possible. We wear light colored cotton clothes and hats to protect us from the heat and the sun,” he said.

Mustapha said many workers suffer from sunstroke. He said, “People that suffer from sunstroke are taken to cool areas and made to bathe in a pool of cold water. If the situation is bad then the employers take the worker to hospital.”

People living close by feel sorry for the workers. Fuad Qattan, a Saudi man who lives near a construction site, said work needs to be done throughout the year but supervisors must take into consideration the difficult weather conditions and have mercy on the workers.

“These workers should be given time-off to rest during the peak summer heat. Some of the workers are over 50 years old, have health problems and are working because they need the money. The authorities should monitor the location of workers and ensure that people do not work during the hot hours,” he said.