Steps Taken to Mitigate the Adverse Effects of Extreme Hot Weather on Workers

Ministry of Labour and Employment issued advisories to States / Union Territories with request to issue necessary directions to employers / industries to take effective steps to mitigate the adverse effects of extreme hot weather on workers through a multi sectoral and multi-dimensional administrative approach. Some of the suggested measures were:

1. Re-scheduling of working hours for employees / workers in different sectors,
2. Ensuring necessary arrangements to regulate piece rate and requirement / urgency for undertaking physical work during summer,
3. Ensuring adequate drinking water facilities at work place,
4. Coordination with Health Department to ensure regular health checkup of the workers,
5. Making provision for emergency ice pack and heat illness prevention material to construction workers.

In addition, Ministry of Labour and Employment, through its various organizations, also organized training programs / awareness sessions focused on ways to deal with the heatwave for outdoor workers and labourers who are most exposed to extreme heat conditions.

Further, under the Employees’ State Insurance, the Insured persons are eligible for sickness benefit under section 46(1)(a) of ESI Act, 1948 due to heatwave if it necessitates abstention from work, duly certified by the medical officer appointed for the purpose, if they fulfil the eligibility and contributory conditions for sickness benefit.