MEASURES NECESSARY:
The Ministry of Labor would gather more information on the issue and consider legislating heat-related work leave, Tzou Tzu-lien said yesterday
By Lee Liang-hui,
Yang Cheng-yu
and William Hetherington / Staff reporters, with staff writer
More than 90 percent of workers surveyed said they would agree to an amendment requiring employers to allow leave on days when temperatures are high, job bank yes123 said yesterday.
Among those surveyed, 93.2 percent said they would support mandated leave on days of high heat, while about 50 percent said that such a policy should be restricted to certain types of jobs and industries.
A total of 67 percent said they have to work outdoors during the summer months from June to August, 53.3 percent said their companies do not take the initiative on preventing heat-related injuries among workers.
Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times
A total of 79.2 percent of respondents said they have no desire to work when temperatures are high, and the heat affects their efficiency by making them tired, impatient and irritable.
Surveyed workers also said they tend to spend more money in summer, as they need to buy cold beverages, ice cream, sunscreen, and summer clothing such as short-sleeved shirts and skirts.
Based on survey data, an average worker in Taiwan spends an average NT$2,433 extra in summer months, which is equal to roughly NT$66.8 billion (US$2.14 billion) in consumer spending nationwide, yes123 said.
Yes123 spokesman Yang Tsung-pin (???) said employers should ensure that employees working outdoors have ample cooling, stay hydrated and get adequate rest in order to prevent heat-related work injuries.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration Director-General Tzou Tzu-lien (???) yesterday said that the Ministry of Labor would collect more data and look into the issue of legislating heat-related work leave.
Tzou also said that employers should take measures to prevent heat-related injuries.
Those regulations were for places with boilers, stoves, blast furnaces and other heat sources, Tzou said.
For outdoor work, such as on construction sites, the ministry requires employers to provide shading and to make assessments of heat-related hazards, he said, adding that there could be discussion on improvements to those regulations.
The survey was conducted through the yes123 Web site from July 5 to 18, and a total of 1,302 valid responses were received.
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