Filenews 27 July 2022
Recommendations to employees for the regulation of work due to increased temperature are made by the Department of Labour Inspection (TEE), of the Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance.
According to the relevant announcement, the TEE informs employers and self-employed persons that today and / or in the coming days in the lowlands and / or coastal areas, temperature and humidity conditions are expected to prevail that may create a very serious heat wave and to impose the interruption and / or the regulation / restriction of work. These conditions may endanger workers working exposed to heat stress and/or seriously affect their health.
Following a previous announcement issued this year for the implementation of the provisions of the Code of Practice for the Thermal Stress of Employees (K.D.P. 291/2014 and K.D.P. 206/2020), TEE reminds that both employers and self-employed persons must measure, in the areas where work is carried out, the parameters that contribute to thermal stress.
In accordance with the prevailing conditions of air temperature (in the shade) and relative humidity, they must adjust their work accordingly and apply a change in each operation or rest or interruption of work, depending on the type of work performed, as well as other appropriate and adequate measures (organizational and technical), in cooperation with local workers' safety representatives, to avoid or reduce thermal stress such as:
- Organization of working time so that heavy tasks are performed during the coolest hours of the day.
- Organization of frequent short breaks for rest in a shady, cool place or properly air-conditioned area or in an area where fans are used, where possible.
- Configuration / selection of a shady place or construction of suitable shelters for the execution of works wherever possible.
- Rotation of employees at work depending on the type of activity performed.
- Avoiding, where possible, strenuous work outdoors during the warmest hours of the day (12:00 a.m.-16:00 p.m.).
- Provision to employees of drinking cool water (temperature 10 – 15oC).
- Provision and use by workers of a suitable headgear.
- Use by workers of light, loose clothing that breathes such as cotton items, and use of appropriate sunglasses.
- Avoid taking large meals or sugary foods or swallowing alcoholic or caffeinated drinks.
- Training of employees.
As mentioned, according to the provisions of the Code of Practice (Tables 12 and 13), for temperature conditions of 39°C to 44oC, work must be interrupted when the following or higher percentages of relative humidity prevail, depending on the type and gravity of the work:
Task Gravity | Temperature (in shade) oC | |||||||
39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | |
Light: | ≥ 53% | ≥ 48% | ≥ 43% | ≥ 39% | ≥ 34% | ≥ 29% | ≥ 25 | ≥ 23 |
Moderate: | ≥ 48% | ≥ 43% | ≥ 38% | ≥ 34% | ≥ 29% | ≥ 26% | ≥ 22 | ≥ 19 |
Heavily: | ≥ 42% | ≥ 37% | ≥ 33% | ≥ 28% | ≥ 25% | ≥ 21% | ≥ 18 | ≥ 15 |
As examples of light work are given office work, stewardship, work on a bench with light tools, ordinary driving. Examples of moderate work include the installation of fencing, concreting, brick building, plastering, painting, laying floors, laying tiles, carving, forging, transporting light objects, carpentry, electrical work, plumbing, mechanical work, installation of aluminium, installation of railings, asphalt paving work carried out by mechanical means.
Examples of heavy work are the intense manual work, processing and installation of reinforcement, assembly / dismantling of moulds, digging or breaking hard materials with mechanical tools / devices / machines weighing more than 15 kg, asphalt paving work carried out by manual means.
For more information, those interested can be informed by the TEE website in the Thermal Stress section 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
