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MANILA, Philippines — Now that the dry season has officially started, traffic enforcers and street sweepers will get a 30-minute “heat stroke break” from April 1 until May 31, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) announced on Wednesday.
MMDA chairman Romando Artes said that the agency had signed a memorandum circular re-implementing the policy to protect its field workers from heat exhaustion, stroke, and cramps caused by the heatwaves.
“This move is part of the agency’s efforts to prevent heat-related illness among our outdoor workers who brave the searing heat daily to fulfill their duties and responsibilities. Their safety is of paramount importance,” Artes explained in a statement, adding that the break will be implemented daily through rotation.
Under the policy, the MMDA said 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.
Below is the agency’s prescribed “heat stroke break” for its field personnel:
For traffic enforcers who work from 5:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. shift, the prescribed schedule of break is from 10:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. or 10:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.; those working from 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. shift, their break is from 2:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. or 3:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.; for those working from 6:00 a.m. to 2 p.m. they should rest from 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. or 11:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon; and for 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., they should rest from 3:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. or 3:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Meanwhile, for street sweepers who work from 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. shift, the prescribed break is from 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. or 11:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon; for 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. shift, the break is from 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m. regular break time; and for those working from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. they should rest 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.
He added that field personnel would also be advised to take an additional 15-minute break time if the heat index or the “human discomfort index” within Metro Manila reaches or exceeds 40 degrees Celsius.