Azerbaijan issues heat safety rules for employers

Employers must take safety measures when temperatures exceed 41°C.

1news.media reports that the State Labor Inspectorate Service under the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population has issued a warning.

The statement notes that when the air temperature exceeds 41°C, it is the employer’s primary responsibility to take necessary measures to protect workers' lives and health.

According to the Labor Code, in such weather conditions, all types of work must be stopped in open areas and at workplaces without cooling equipment.

Employees must be given breaks to cool down, and the number and duration of these breaks should be determined by a joint decision between the employer and the trade union.

These breaks must be considered part of the working hours, and wages for breaks must be paid according to the employee’s base salary.

If work is stopped, downtime payments must be made at no less than two-thirds of the employee’s base salary, provided the stoppage is not due to the worker’s fault.

If working conditions allow, the workday may be reorganized by suspending work during the hottest part of the day (through long breaks) and dividing the work schedule into segments.