The government has urged the construction and logistics industries to strictly observe the rules on heat safety, as President Lee Jae-myung has warned that the government will hold them accountable for incidents caused by negligence. 

The labor ministry on Thursday held a meeting with chief health and safety officers of contractors and logistics firms on the five basic heat wave safety rules to be observed this summer.

The head of the ministry’s Occupational Safety and Health Office, Kim Jong-yoon, who chaired the meeting, urged the chief health and safety officers to thoroughly follow the five rules while devising measures to prevent heat-related illnesses that are tailored to the characteristics of the workplace. 

In particular, Kim stressed the need for companies to grant workers a break of at least 20 minutes every two hours in the event they work at temperatures of 33 degrees Celsius or above. 

The five heat wave safety rules are to provide water to workers; install fans and canopies; provide breaks and establish rest facilities; supply cooling equipment to all workers; and devise measures to prevent heat-related illnesses.