Employees allowed to work less on torrid days

When the air temperature exceeds the 30ºC mark, the employees in Chisinau will be allowed to work less. At least this is what the summertime crisis intervention plan says. Developed by the municipal health department together with other relevant agencies, this is a document aimed to minimize negative health effects of the critical air temperatures, Info-Prim Neo reports. The plan also says that Chisinau's sanitary watchdog agency must improve the knowledge of the residents about how to live a healthy life and how to maintain wells and other sources of drinking water. The administrations of the open-air markets in the city must ensure the functionality of medical facilities and sources of drinking water, while all the stalls must be covered with umbrellas or canopies. At the same time, the municipal authorities advise employers to provide the personnel with 1.5-2 liters of fresh water each day, and afford workers rest breaks of at least 2 hours during the working day when the weather gets very sultry. Chisinau's public alimentation chief Vladimir Nirca told a City Hall meeting on Monday that 266 stalls offering refreshing drinks and ice cream for sale will work across the city during the summer. Silvia Terna, the deputy director of the City Hall's public health department, has told Info-Prim Neo that to alleviate the impact of the dog days, last year in the municipality there were additionally formed 36 mobile medical assistance units, 21 of which were stationed in medical establishments, while the remaining 15 in crowded places like markets, bus stops and stations. Last summer, about 10,000 persons called the Emergency Service for help, 700 of whom right from the street. Happily, no cases of heat stroke or death from extreme temperatures were recorded.