The Department of Labour Inspection has announced a mandatory suspension of all heavy and moderate outdoor work, as well as delivery services using two-wheeled vehicles and personal mobility devices, due to extreme temperatures and an orange weather warning issued by the Meteorological Department.
The restriction applies from 12pm to 4pm and covers:
- Inland areas of Cyprus
- Areas below 300 metres in elevation
- Areas more than 10 kilometres from the coastline
Which activities are banned?
The suspension covers:
- All heavy outdoor work
- All moderate outdoor work
- Deliveries of food, products, mail and other items using:
- Motorcycles
- Mopeds
- Bicycles
- Scooters
- Electric scooters
Employer obligations
For areas not covered by the orange warning, employers and self-employed workers are required to implement heat protection measures under the relevant Code of Practice.
These include:
- Monitoring temperature and humidity levels
- Adjusting work schedules
- Providing frequent breaks in shaded or air-conditioned areas
- Ensuring access to cool drinking water
- Providing appropriate protective equipment, including hats
- Avoiding strenuous outdoor work during the hottest hours of the day
What counts as moderate and heavy work?
Moderate work includes activities such as:
- Bricklaying
- Plastering
- Painting
- Flooring and tiling
- Carpentry
- Electrical work
- Plumbing
- Mechanical work
- Installation of aluminium structures and railings
Heavy work includes:
- Intense manual labour
- Steel reinforcement work
- Formwork assembly and dismantling
- Excavation
- Breaking hard materials using tools or machinery weighing more than 15kg
- Manual asphalt paving
The department urged employers and workers to strictly follow all heat protection measures to safeguard health and safety during the ongoing heatwave.
Source: CNA
