An official speaking during an awareness and training workshop.
Doha, Qatar: As part of its commitment to safeguarding the health and safety of its employees, the Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa) continues to implement its awareness and training programme for the prevention of heat stress.
The programme is aimed at employees working in outdoor locations and seeks to raise awareness of heat stress risks and promote preventive practices, contributing to a safe and healthy working environment during the summer season.
The programme supports the State of Qatar’s efforts to protect workers from the risks associated with heat stress and is aligned with the requirements of Ministerial Decision No. (17) of 2021 regarding the necessary precautions to protect workers from heat stress and regulate work during the summer period.
The Health, Safety and Environment Department organizes awareness and training workshops over a period of three weeks, with two workshops conducted daily, each lasting one and a half hours. The programme remains ongoing, with workshops continuing until all targeted groups have been covered.
Approximately 650 employees from various departments have participated in the programme to date, while training workshops continue to ensure that key awareness messages reach all employees.
The training workshops cover a range of practical topics, including understanding heat stress, its causes, and the factors that increase the risk of exposure, differentiating between various heat-related illnesses, including heat exhaustion, heat stroke, heat cramps, and heat rash, recognizing early signs and symptoms and learning rapid response procedures for suspected cases, preventive measures that should be followed when working in hot weather conditions, and response procedures for heat stroke cases, as it is considered a medical emergency requiring immediate cooling and urgent medical attention.
The workshops also focus on several key preventive messages and guidelines, including drinking water regularly before feeling thirsty to maintain proper hydration, scheduling physically demanding tasks during periods of lower heat stress whenever possible, adhering to designated rest breaks and using shaded or air-conditioned rest areas, reporting any heat stress-related symptoms immediately, following emergency procedures in suspected cases of heat stroke.
The Department emphasized that preventing heat stress is a shared responsibility that requires adherence to preventive measures, proper planning of field operations, and raising awareness among employees.
These efforts contribute to reducing heat stress-related incidents, safeguarding employees’ health and safety, and ensuring business continuity with efficiency and safety.
Kahramaa reaffirms that the health and safety of its employees remain among its top priorities. The Corporation continues to implement awareness programmes and initiatives that promote a culture of occupational safety and reinforce best practices in the workplace, in line with national legislation and recognised international standards.
