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- Ελληνικά
The Labour Inspection Department of the Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance informs employers and self-employed persons that, in view of the Department of Meteorology's warning of extremely high temperatures at orange danger level covering the highest mountain ranges (1150-1650 metres), today it is necessary to interrupt, between the hours of 12:00-16:00:
- all outdoor heavy and medium-duty work, and
- product transport and/or product delivery operations using two-wheeled vehicles (e.g.e.g. motorcycle, moped, bicycle) or personal mobility devices (scooters, e-scooters), such as the transport and/or delivery of goods/food/mail and/or other activities.
As a reminder, for the rest of the territory not covered by the orange warning, the provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health (Code of Practice on Workers' Heat Exposure) Orders 2014, 2020 and 2023 (Κ.Δ.Π. 291/2014, K.Δ.Π. 206/2020 and K.Δ.Π.231/2023), according to which both employers and self-employed persons must measure, in the premises where work is carried out, the parameters (temperature and relative humidity) that contribute to the thermal load. According to the prevailing conditions of air temperature (in the shade) and relative humidity, they must adjust their work accordingly and apply a change of each task or rest or interruption of work, depending on the type of work performed, as well as other appropriate and adequate measures (organisational and technical) to avoid or reduce heat stress, such as:
- Organisation of frequent short rest breaks in a shady, cool place or in a suitably air-conditioned room or in a room where fans are used, where possible.
- Design/selection of a shady place or construction of suitable shelters for carrying out the work, where possible.
- Rotate workers on the job according to the type of activity being performed.
- Avoiding, where possible, strenuous outdoor work during the hottest hours of the day (12:00-16:00).
- Providing workers with cool drinking water (10 - 15°C).
- Provision and use by workers of suitable headgear.
- Use by workers of light, loose-fitting, breathable clothing such as cotton clothing and the use of appropriate sunglasses.
- Avoid eating large meals or sugary foods or ingesting alcoholic or caffeinated beverages.
- Training of workers.
In accordance with the provisions of the Code of Practice (Tables 12 and 13), for temperature conditions of 39° to 46°, work should be stopped when the lower or higher relative humidity levels prevail, depending on the type and severity of the work:
|
Work Severity |
[TD]
Temperature (under shade) oC
[/TD][TR] [TD]
39
[/TD] [TD]40
[/TD] [TD]40
[/TD] [TD]41
[/TD] [TD]42
[/TD] [TD]43
[/TD] [TD]44
[/TD] [TD]44
[/TD] [TD]45
[/TD] [TD]46
[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Light:
[/TD] [TD]≥ 53%
[/TD] [TD]≥ 48%
[/TD] [TD]≥ 43%
[/TD] [TD]≥ 39%
[/TD] [TD] [TD]≥ 34%
[/TD] [TD]≥ 29%
[/TD] [TD]≥ 25
[/TD] [TD]≥ 23
[/TD] [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Moderate:
[/TD] [TD]≥ 48%
[/TD] [TD]≥ 43%
[/TD] [TD]≥ 38%
[/TD] [TD]≥ 34%
[/TD] [TD] [TD]≥ 29%
[/TD] [TD]≥ 26%
[/TD] [TD]≥ 22
[/TD] [TD]≥ 19
[/TD] [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Heavy:
[/TD] [TD]≥ 42%
[/TD] [TD]≥ 37%
[/TD] [TD]≥ 33%
[/TD] [TD]≥ 28%
[/TD] [/TD] [TD]≥ 25%
[/TD] [TD]≥ 21%
[/TD] [TD]≥ 18
[/TD] [/TD] [TD]≥ 15
[/TD] [/TR]
|
Gravity |
[TD] [/TD] [TD]
Examples
[/TD][TR] [TD]
Light
[/TD] [TD]Office Work, janitorial work, bench work with light tools, routine driving.
[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]
Moderate
[/TD] [TD]Fence laying, concrete work, brick building, plastering, painting, flooring, tile laying, carving, hammering, carrying light objects, carpentry work, electrical work, plumbing work, mechanical work, mechanical work, installation of aluminium, installation of railings, asphalting work carried out by mechanical means.
[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]
Heavy
[/TD] [TD]Intensive manual work, processing and placing reinforcement, assembling/disassembling moulds, digging or breaking hard materials with power tools/devices/machines weighing more than 15 kg, paving work carried out by manual means.
[/TD] [/TR]
For further information, interested parties may consult the website of the Technical Inspectorate in the section Thermal Stress and/or contact the Inspectors at the local District Offices of the Department at the following telephone numbers.
Nicosia: 22879191
Limassol: 25827200
Larnaca: 24805327
Paphos: 26822715
Famagusta: 23819750
(NΓ/EXP)
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