DUBAI: A quarter of companies inspected in Oman have been found in breach of the midday work ban, national daily the Times of Oman reported.
The Ministry of Manpower visited 1,003 companies during June and found 251 were violating the rule that bans any work at outdoor sites between 12.30pm and 3.30pm during the hottest summer months.
The ban came into force on June 1 and violators face fines of up to $1,300 as well as a jail term of no more than one month, while the penalties are doubled for repeat offenders.
The midday ban is effective across the Gulf nations during the summer when temperatures often tip past 50C.
Meanwhile it was reported this week that a small fishing village in Oman experienced the highest nighttime temperature ever recorded.
Quriyat experienced a sweltering 42.6C on June 27, although meteorologists believe that other areas might have been even hotter, but were not recorded.
