Case Study on Employee Safety

Patrick is a lifeguard who works for an indoor pool at a holiday resort in the Middle East. The air temperature is very hot making it very miserable to work in. He often work 8 hours+ per day, and gets paid barely above minimum wage. He is not given any proper breaks, and is required to stand the entire time. 

This is causing health problems for Patrick. Some of his peers formed a union and have complained about the working conditions to the department head but in turn received backlash from the department head. One of the employees even lost his job. The department head has warned all the employees not to be a part of any trade unions. Patrick has approached you (the HR manager) with his concerns.

What can be done to solve this problem?

What are the various safety measures companies need to take in interest of their employees?