Workers adapt to heatwaves

AMMAN — Since the beginning of summer, 25 people have fainted and suffered from heat fatigue due to direct sun exposure, according to the Civil Defence Department’s (CDD) media office.

Ibrahim Abu Qattan, a 20-year-old chef in a catering company in Amman, said that, after working in this sector for three years, “he got used to it” and the heat does not affect him anymore.

“Actually, the winter affects us more than the summer, because, while we are working in the kitchen, we are exposed to high temperatures. So, in the winter, when we suddenly go from one temperature to another, we catch colds easily,” he explained.

Hasan Ibrahim, a 44-year-old man who has been working as a sanitation worker for five years, said that he does not have any problems working under the sun: “Thank God, I am used to work in such conditions. I want to provide my children, and, whatever the weather, I have to put bread on the table for my family.”

Meanwhile, 20-year-old Nashmi Al Barmawi, said: “The weather is so hot and the sun has burnt my skin, but I still have to work the whole day to make ends meet.” 

The young man has been working as a street vendor for 10 years but still expresses gratitude for having a job to rely on. 

Adel Al Hajj Omar, a 21-year-old Syrian baker, said that he “struggled” when he started working in those conditions, but, after a while, he “got used to it”.

Working in the business for nine years, he said that “the stress and the pressure coming from doing this job force you to adapt under these circumstances, and there is nothing you can do but accept it”.

Hasan Saad, a 28-year-old Egyptian resident who has been delivering street coffee for seven years, said that these high temperatures do not affect him because he is used to higher ones back in Egypt.

“From my point of view, and depending on what I see, my Jordanian colleagues are facing problems due to the heatwave, unlike my Egyptian colleagues,” Saad noted.

However, Nader Abu Al Leil, a 31-year-old Egyptian construction worker, said that, even if he is used to high temperatures, he still tries to look for shaded areas to work in.

In light of the recent heatwaves, the CDD’s media office has advised workers to avoid direct sun exposure as much as possible, to drink enough liquids especially water, and not to drink only when feeling thirsty.

They advised workers to wear light and loose clothing, to wear protective headgear and to take regular breaks, especially those working in the construction and agricultural sectors or in jobs forcing them to stay under the sun for a long period of time.