El Niño: Council orders three-hour daily construction break

The Sector Skills Council for Building in Nigeria President, Samson Ameh Opaluwah.

The Sector Skills Council for Building in Nigeria has directed construction companies and property developers to suspend non-essential heavy outdoor work between noon and 3:30 pm and introduce mandatory rest and hydration breaks to protect workers from extreme heat.

The council warned that rising temperatures, prolonged dry spells, dusty conditions and flash flooding were exposing construction workers to heatstroke, respiratory illnesses and workplace accidents, with potential consequences for productivity and workers’ livelihoods.

In a national safety advisory issued on Tuesday, the council directed contractors to restructure working hours, provide adequate drinking water and establish shaded resting areas at construction sites across the country.

The advisory, signed by the council’s President, Samson Ameh Opaluwah, identified roofing, concrete pouring, manual excavation and scaffolding as some of the labour-intensive activities that should be avoided during peak heat periods.

The advisory read, “Building Skills Constructing managers-operating primarily in open-air environments-face severe health, safety, and productivity risks. All licensed construction entities and property developers are hereby instructed to integrate the mandatory operational controls outlined below to safeguard workers’ health, ensure site integrity, and maintain national productivity standards.”

It recommended that contractors move such activities to early morning hours between 6am and 10:30am or late afternoons, with adequate lighting where work extends into the night.

The council said workers should also receive mandatory five- to 10-minute hydration breaks every 20 minutes, while clean drinking water must be provided within 50 metres of every active work area.

“Peak Solar Avoidance: All site contractors must eliminate non-essential heavy manual labour (e.g., concrete pouring, manual digging, scaffolding, roofing work) during peak heat hours between 12:00 PM and 3:30 PM.

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“Early/Late Shifts: Work schedules must be shifted to early morning blocks or late afternoon/night hours under adequate site lighting.

“Hydration Stations: Clean, cool drinking water must be available within 50 meters of every active work zone. Workers must be granted mandatory 5-10-minute hydration breaks every 20 minutes. Electrolytes & First Aid: Site clinics/first aid stations must be stocked with Oral Rehydration Salts and cooling media (ice packs, wet towels) for rapid response to acute heat distress,” it added.

It further directed construction companies to provide first-aid facilities stocked with oral rehydration salts, ice packs and wet towels to respond to cases of heat exhaustion.

The directive comes amid growing concerns about the impact of extreme weather conditions on outdoor workers, particularly in the construction industry, where employees are routinely exposed to direct sunlight while performing physically demanding tasks.

According to the council, prolonged exposure to high temperatures could cause dehydration, heat cramps and potentially fatal heatstroke.

It warned that heat-related illnesses could also affect workers’ concentration and reaction times, increasing the likelihood of falls from scaffolding, machinery-related accidents and injuries from falling construction materials.