Current health and safety regulations limit consecutive periods of work for individuals in high-temperature indoor environments, and employers who violate these rules are subject to fines of up to NT$150,000 (US$5,014), the ROC Council of Labor Affairs said July 10.
The CLA made the remarks as the temperature in Taipei City soared to 38.3 C just before noon the same day, for the fourth highest reading on record.
According to the standards adopted by the council, workers should take 45-minute breaks for every 15 minutes of work in conditions of extreme heat, 30-minute rest periods per half-hour of work in moderately hot environments, and 15-minute breaks every hour in mild heat, a CLA official explained.
The council also dispelled recent rumors that it was considering adopting rules for canceling work during heat waves. It noted that it held consultations last year with experts from the Central Weather Bureau to discuss whether to extend the restrictions to outdoor work environments but that no plans were finalized.
“The discussions did not include the idea of declaring holidays during heat waves,” the CLA pointed out.
The present regulations, in place to prevent heat stroke, only cover indoor work environments such as boiler rooms, steel-making furnaces and glass factories.