Article 187 of the Saudi Labor Law
المادة 187 من نظام العمل · الباب الثاني عشر: العمل في المناجم والمحاجر
Article 187 requires a full medical examination proving fitness before work in mines and quarries, repeated periodically without charging the worker any cost, as the Minister specifies.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
لا يجوز السماح لأي شخص بالعمل في العمليات التي يسري عليها هذا الباب إلا بعد إجراء فحص طبي كامل عليه، وثبوت لياقته الصحية للعمل المطلوب، ويجب إعادة هذا الفحص دوريًّا، ولا يجوز تحميل العامل أي نفقة مقابل الفحوص الطبية اللازمة.
ويحدد الوزير بقرار منه الأوضاع والشروط والمدد التي يجب الالتزام بها.
This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
Article 187 explained in plain English
Article 187 sets a prior health condition for anyone to be employed in the work covered by Part Twelve of the Labor Law, which is work in mines and quarries. It is not enough for a person to be willing to work or technically qualified for it; he must first undergo a full medical examination, and this examination must prove his medical fitness for the specific work required of him, not for work in general.
The article contains three main obligations on whoever employs workers in these operations:
- Examination before starting work: no one may be allowed to work in these operations except after the examination has been carried out and his medical fitness proven.
- Periodic re-examination: the Law is not satisfied with the first examination, but requires it to be repeated periodically throughout the period of work.
- No cost charged to the worker: the worker may not be made to pay any amount for the necessary medical examinations, whether at the first examination or the periodic ones.
The article leaves the details of application to a decision issued by the Minister setting the arrangements, conditions and periods that must be observed, such as the interval between each periodic examination and the next; the article itself does not state these periods, and the Minister's decision must be consulted to know them.
This article is part of a system of special protection for workers in mines and quarries given the nature of this work: Article 186 prevents employing anyone who has not completed 18 years of age in a mine or quarry, and Article 188 limits actual working hours below ground to seven hours a day and prevents keeping the worker at the workplace more than ten hours a day. The picture is thus complete: a minimum age, medical fitness that is proven and followed up, and limited working hours.
In practice, if a worker in a mine or quarry is asked to pay the cost of the medical examination, or is employed without a prior examination, that violates the text of the article, and he can contact a lawyer specialized in labor cases to learn the appropriate steps for his case.
Practical example
Ahmed applied to work at a quarry belonging to a company in the Eastern Province, and the company told him he must bring a medical report at his own expense before starting work. This request violates Article 187 of the Labor Law; the company is required not to allow him to work except after a full medical examination proving his fitness for the work required, but it cannot charge him any cost for this examination. After he is hired, the company must repeat the examination periodically at the intervals the Minister's decision specifies, also at its expense, without Ahmed bearing any cost.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
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Active contributorFrequently asked questions about Article 187 of the Saudi Labor Law
Can a worker be employed in a mine or quarry without a medical examination?
No. Article 187 prevents anyone from being allowed to work in mine and quarry operations except after a full medical examination has been carried out on him and his medical fitness for the work required has been proven.
Who bears the cost of the medical examination for mine and quarry workers?
The article expressly provides that the worker may not be charged any cost for the necessary medical examinations, whether the first examination or the periodic ones.
How often must a mine worker's medical examination be repeated?
The article requires the examination to be repeated periodically, but it does not set the periods itself, and leaves the arrangements, conditions and periods to a decision issued by the Minister.
What other conditions apply to work in mines and quarries besides the medical examination?
Among the neighboring articles: Article 186 prevents employing anyone who has not completed 18 years, and Article 188 sets actual working hours below ground at seven hours a day and prevents keeping the worker at the workplace more than ten hours a day.
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The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.