Taipei, July 22 (CNA) There are laws and regulations in Taiwan to ensure employees’ safety when working in high temperatures, a labor official said on Friday in response to a survey which found about half of Taiwan’s workers report suffering from heatstroke at work.
Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, there are regulations for working indoors and outdoors under high temperatures, said Tzou Tzu-lien (鄒子廉), director general of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration under the Ministry of Labor.
For workers working outdoors, the regulations require employers to provide sunshade and a water supply, as well as have a protocol to assess heat hazards at the work sites, Tzou said.
In addition, labor officials would conduct special inspections, checking whether employers maintain a safe environment for employees working outdoors in hot conditions, Tzou said.
If employees are found to have suffered heat strokes or occupational hazards caused by working outdoors, employers would face a fine of NT$30,000-$150,000 (US$960-$4,800), he said.
For workers indoors, Tzou noted his agency has a heat index in place, which is calculated by temperatures and humidity, to let employers know whether they need to be cautious about potential heat hazards. The system also advises the employers to take extra precaution, or to be alert about dangerous or very dangerous working environments.
Tzou made the comments after being asked by reporters at the Legislative Yuan about a survey published on Friday by online job service yes123, which asked its members how they have been affected by working in hot weather.
According to the survey, 48.6 percent of the respondents said they had suffered heat strokes at work, while 53.3 percent said that their employers had not taken heat prevention measures when they work outdoors.
The online job service conducted the survey on July 5-18 and collected 1,302 valid samples, with a confidence level of 95 percent and a margin of error of plus or minus 2.72 percentage points, it said.
In Taiwan, some construction companies would suspend work under extremely high temperatures, or adjust lunch break hours, Tzou said, adding that his agency is working with the Ministry of Health and Welfare to come up with more measures to prevent heat hazards.
