Article 190 of the Saudi Labor Law

This article is within Part Twelve of the Labor Law on work in mines and quarries, and it imposes a specific obligation on the employer: to prepare a special register in which workers are recorded and accounted for at two times: before they enter the workplaces, and when they leave them.

The practical purpose of this register is clear in a hazardous work environment like mines and quarries; through it the employer knows at any moment who the workers on the site are, how many there are, and who has left. This makes the register an essential tool for preserving workers' safety, since in an accident or emergency it is possible to quickly confirm that everyone has left or identify who is still inside.

This article is linked with the ones before and after it:

• Article 189 prohibits entry to workplaces and their annexes by anyone other than those working in them, except those assigned to inspect the mine or quarry and those holding special permission from the competent authority. The Article 190 register makes applying this prohibition practically possible, because accounting for workers at entry reveals any unauthorized person.
• Article 191 requires the employer or the responsible manager to draw up a regulation of orders and instructions on general safety, so the register completes the safety system these articles regulate.

It is important to note the following:

• The obligation falls on the employer specifically, and the article does not require a particular form of register or specific data, and does not specify who may inspect it or the penalty for violating it.
• The register is required at every entry and exit, not once at appointment.

For the worker, the existence of this register protects him in practice, and he may expect the employer to record him at every entry and exit. If a worker or employer faces a problem about applying this obligation or the consequences of breaching it, it is advisable to consult a lawyer specialized in labor cases.