AS a precaution against heat-triggered illness from the scorching weather, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will impose a 30-minute “heat stroke break” for its field personnel from April 1 until May 31.
“This move is part of the agency’s efforts to prevent heat-related illness among our outdoor workers who brave the searing heat every day to fulfill their duties and responsibilities,” MMDA acting chairman Romando Artes said.
“Their safety is of paramount importance,” Artes added, after signing a memorandum circular re-implementing the “heat stroke break” policy to protect field personnel from heat exhaustion, heat stroke and heat cramps due to extremely warm weather.
Artes said the heat stroke break will be implemented daily through rotation.
Under the policy, on-duty traffic enforcers and street sweepers are allowed to leave their posts in shifts to seek shelter from the sun and take a 30-minute break to allow their bodies to cool down.
For traffic enforcers who work from 5 am to 1 pm shift, the prescribed “heat stroke break” is from 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. or 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.; for those on the 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. shift, the break time is from 2:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. or 3 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.; for those working from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., the prescribed break is from 11 am to 11:30 a.m. or 11:30 a.m. to 12 noon; and for the 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. shift, the break time shall be observed from 3 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. or 3:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Meanwhile, for street
sweepers who work the 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. shift, the prescribed “heat stroke break” is from 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. or 11:30 a.m. to 12 noon; those on the 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. shift shall observe 12 noon to 1 p.m. regular break time; and for those on the 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. shift, the break time shall be observed from 2:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. or 3:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
“The heat stroke break shall be done alternately by those who are assigned in a particular area to maintain visibility of traffic enforcers and street sweepers and to ensure field operations are not hampered,” said Artes.
Artes said that field personnel can also take an additional 15-minute break time in case the heat index or the “human discomfort index” in Metro Manila reaches 40 degrees Celsius and above. Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco
Image credits: Junpinzon | Dreamstime.com
