Due to the announced and already present extremely high temperatures throughout the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Policy sent recommendations to employers with the aim of protecting the health and safety of workers, especially those who perform work outdoors or in conditions of increased risk.
High temperatures represent a serious challenge for safety and health at work, and the consequences of long-term exposure to heat can be exhaustion, dehydration, loss of concentration and other health problems that increase the risk of injuries at work. For this reason, the Ministry calls on employers to adapt the organization of work to weather conditions and take all available protective measures.
It is recommended that employers consider the possibility of suspending outdoor work during the period when the temperatures are highest, i.e. between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., and that work processes be organized in the early morning or late afternoon hours. In industries where interruption of work is not possible, it is recommended to move the start of working hours to six in the morning, as well as to take more frequent breaks, to ensure a sufficient amount of drinking water and stay in refrigerated areas whenever possible.
Special attention should be paid to workers who work in jobs with increased risk, as well as to people with chronic diseases, for whom it is recommended to enable the use of annual leave or other forms of leave in accordance with the law and internal acts of the employer.
Federal Minister of Labor and Social Policy Adnan Delić said that protecting workers should not be a matter of choice, but of responsibility.
“People are the greatest asset of any society and no job is more important than the health and life of workers. Employers who show responsibility towards their workers today not only protect their health, but also build a healthier, safer and more humane working environment for everyone. It is our obligation to adapt the way of working to the new circumstances in the time of increasingly pronounced climate challenges and to always put human safety before any other interest,” said Delić.
The Ministry also recommends adapting the dress code to the weather conditions wherever the nature of the work allows, as well as a more flexible organization of working hours in order to reduce the exposure of workers to the highest daily temperatures.
The Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Policy calls on the competent inspection bodies to strengthen the supervision of the implementation of occupational safety measures in the coming period, in order to prevent harmful consequences for the health of workers and ensure compliance with the prescribed occupational safety standards.
The recommendations were made in accordance with Article 9, paragraph 5 of the Law on Occupational Safety, which stipulates the obligation to undertake special protective measures in circumstances that may endanger the safety and health of workers, the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Policy announced.
