Preventive measures ensured occupational safety in Qatar

Doha: Minister of Labour H E Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al Marri stressed  that Qatar attaches substantial attention to occupational safety and health by supporting coordination and fruitful cooperation with local and international partners. It is with the aim of enhancing compliance at the national level at the same time with alignment with international standards, the Minister said addressing Occupational Safety and Health Conference, held under the slogan “ Occupational Safety and Health -Commitments and Responsibilities”, as part of observing the World Day for Safety and Health at Work, which is marked on April 28 annually. 

The conference was organised by the Ministry of Labour (MoL), in cooperation with the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC), the International Labour Organization (ILO), and the International Federation of Building and Wood Workers (BWI), yesterday.  

The conference was attended by   Chairperson of the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) Maryam Abdullah Al Attiyah, Chairman of Qatar Chamber (QC) Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al Thani, Head of the Project Office of ILO in the State of Qatar Max Tuñón Deputy-President of the Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI) Dietmar Schäfers, representatives of ministries and ambassadors. 

The Minister of Labour explained the continuation of establishing partnerships and technical exchange with national and international organisations with the aim of enhancing institutional performance, and supporting and training OSH-related human resources.

In his keynote address during the opening session of the conference, H E Dr. Ali stressed the keenness of MoL to enhance transparency in the field of occupational health and safety by developing a system for recording work injuries, occupational diseases and improving data assemblage and analysis. He pointed to the continuing development of training strategies and media campaigns and the exchange of best practices in partnership with bodies and institutions across various levels in the national system for occupational health and safety. 

The Minister emphasized that various authorities are exerting tangible and strenuous efforts to enhance occupational safety and health, improve accident prevention and risk management systems in the workplace with the aim of improving performance, pointing out that the policies and strategies that are adopted and developed continuously in coordination with the competent authorities to reduce work-related accidents and injuries.

He underlined the importance of social dialogue in the field of occupational safety and health and the role played by employers and their cooperation to ensure the implementation of new laws.

The Minister of Labour stressed the Ministry’s commitment to promoting a safe and healthy work environment through continuous upgrading of services, in line with Qatar’s ambitious agenda to promote effective work, and the objectives of Qatar National Vision 2030 in light of respect for human rights.

He expounded that MOL is implementing the national action plan on heat stress in line with the annual strategy of labour inspection services, noting that annual awareness and inspection campaigns are carried out to monitor the ban on work in open places during the summer.

In addition, he said efforts made and preventive measures contributed to reducing the number of people suffering from heat stress disorders in 2021 to a much lower level than it was in 2019 and 2020.

He said that the Ministry has relentlessly worked to care for workers and protect them from work injuries, in appreciation of their positive contribution to achieving comprehensive development in the State of Qatar, and in recognition of the human casualties and material losses that work-related accidents and injuries cause. 

Moreover, he pointed out that an annual report on occupational injuries based on a precise methodology has been published, in addition to that it provides a detailed analysis of the causes of injuries, the age groups of injured workers, their nationalities and their work sector. It also provides a set of recommendations that can serve as a roadmap for taking the necessary measures in the future.

H E Dr. Ali bin Samikh Al Marri, Minister of Labour, also honoured top performing distinguished companies in the field of occupational health and safety and in appreciation of the efforts made by these companies in the context of educating workers at all levels about the standards and requirements for OSH, in addition to their continuous keenness to apply the best standards to maintain health and safety.

The honouring included Al-Balagh Trading and Contracting Company, Qatar Trading and Contracting Group, Galfar Al-Misnad Engineering and Contracting Company, Quality Construction Company, Gulf Warehousing Company, in addition to Swan Global Company, which sponsored the Occupational Safety and Health Conference.

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