Starting Thursday, businesses will be obligated to guarantee employees working outdoors in the scorching heat at least 20 minutes of break time for every two hours.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor said on Tuesday that revisions to the regulations concerning occupational safety and health standards, including the mandatory break when the heat index rises to 33 degrees Celsius or higher, will take effect on Thursday.

Employers will be required to operate cooling equipment, adjust working hours, and offer periodical breaks when the temperature rises to 31 degrees or higher, and to call emergency personnel upon suspicion of a heat-related illness.

In workplace environments where it is difficult for employees to take a break, businesses will need to operate individual cooling equipment or have workers wear cooling devices.

The ministry will provide portable air conditioners, ice machines and other equipment for heat-related illness prevention worth 35 billion won, or around 25 million U.S. dollars, to some ten-thousand high-risk workplaces with less than 50 workers until late July.