facebooktwittertelegramwhatsapp
copy short urlprintemail
+ A
A -
webmaster

Tribune News Network
Doha
The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), in cooperation with the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labor and Social Affairs (MADLSA), Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) and Qatar Petroleum (QP), recently organised a number of training workshops on heat stress with the participation of about 600 occupational health and safety supervisors from major companies in the country.
The workshops, as part of the annual programme 'Protect Yourself', aimed at raising awareness of heat stress. They were in line with MOPH's policy of caring for all workers and its keenness to provide them with proper care and safety.
The training sessions featured lectures on heat stress, its symptoms, prevention, first-aid techniques, measuring temperature and humidity at the workplace and the effect of sunlight on the eyes. The sessions were given by representatives from the MoPH, HMC, QP and the MADLSA's Inspection Department. Several awareness videos on heat stress were also played.
The representatives from HMC Emergency Management Department presented statistics on heat stress injuries between 2012 and 2016. They pointed out that most heat stress cases occur during August.
Qatar Petroleum doctors gave lectures on how to prevent heat stress, using temperature and humidity measuring device and how to regulate the hours of work and rest based upon the device readings to prevent heat stress.
Jaber al Marri, head of the Occupational Safety and Health Department at MADLSA, spoke about the efforts of the Labour Inspection Department to protect workers against heat stress, especially through Decision No. 16 of August 31, 2007, regulating work hours during summer. The decision determines the working hours for those who work under the sun or open places.
The decision stipulates that working in open places must be banned after 11.30am, while evening working hours must start at 3.00pm. Employers must provide drinking water and resting places nearby, stressing that any company violating the decree will be closed for a period not exceeding one month.
At his inaugural speech, Sheikh Dr Mohammed bin Hamad al Thani, director of the Public Health Department at MoPH, said through the workshops and awareness campaigns about heat stress, the ministry seeks to reduce injuries caused by high temperatures among workers.
"The National Health Strategy 2018- 2022 and the Public Health Strategy 2017- 2022 attach great importance to health and safety in the workplace. A special occupational health working group has been formed to support the delivery of these goals," He added.
Sheikh Dr Mohammed noted that there were no deaths due to thermal stress during 2017 and that 95 percent of heat stress cases were treated at HMC and discharged on the same day.
copy short url   Copy
07/06/2018
847