"Faintings increase despite efforts to improve factory conditions", 27 December 2018

More than 2,000 garment workers have fainted so far this year in 16 factories across the Kingdom... despite efforts by the government to improve factory conditions... Last year, a total of 1,603 garment workers fainted in 22 factories...

According to a report by the National Social Security Fund, the main reasons why workers faint are pesticides used in nearby rice fields, strong chemical glues used in the production of footwear, steam from boilers, poor environments near factories, malnutrition, poor ventilation, stress and even the belief in supernatural forces.

The Labour Ministry has also issued an 11-point guideline for factory owners to follow in an attempt to reduce the number of workers passing out. The points include: ensuring a safe environment, providing ventilation fans, opening windows to ensure flow of air, installing thermostats and maintaining firefighting systems...