Employers Obliged to Protect Workers in Record Heat

Published on 2017/08/13 | Source

The government is revising regulations so employers must guarantee water, shade and break times to staff working in hot weather, the Labor Ministry said Tuesday.

Employers will have to guarantee 10 to 15-minute breaks every hour when heat alerts are issued, and ensure they have enough drinking water and proper shade. Violators face up to five years in jail or a maximum W50 million fine (US$1=W1,127).

To begin with, the ministry said it will suspend businesses that do not protect their workers from heat.

The measures follow a rash of heat-related injuries and accidents in workplaces this summer.