BWI and the Labour Ministry of Qatar jointly launched an information and education campaign dubbed “Mastering Heat Stress” to manage heat stress in the workplaces and to achieve a safe and healthy working environment for migrant workers in Qatar. Launched in early May 2024 and will continue through September, the campaign aims to reach out to around 50’000 migrant construction workers in Qatar in their worksites, accommodation facilities and community gatherings. The campaign team of the Labour ministry and BWI were joined by migrant workers’ OSH Practitioners Network of the Community Leaders Forum.
Since the launch of the campaign, close to 1’000 migrant workers from various companies, including Qatari Diar – Saudi Bin Laden Group (QD SBG) and Al Balagh Contracting and Trading Company, as well as migrant workers’ organisations like the Nepali Workers’ Welfare Association and BMKQ Filipino Construction Workers’ Association, have participated in the initial awareness sessions. Altogether, these 2 companies and 2 migrant workers’ associations have an outreach of no less than 6’000 workers who are benefiting from enhanced heat stress management capacity. Qatar’s National Human Rights Committee, the Ministry of Public Health and the Qatar Red Crescent Society also participated in some sessions as experts.
The campaign is expected to reach its peak during the summer months, when temperatures in the Gulf region reach about 50 degrees Celsius or more, with hot winds and high humidity. BWI and the Ministry of Labour will conduct a speakers’ training among volunteers from migrant workers’ associations and personnel from participating companies. This training aims to increase the number of mastering heat stress sessions in the next several weeks.