International Conference on Occupational Heat Stress Wraps Up its Activities

 

 

Doha, May 10 (QNA) -  The activities of the International Conference on Occupational Heat Stress..."Application Practices and Sharing of Experiences, which was inaugurated by HE Minister of Labour Dr. Ali bin Samikh Al Marri, concluded today.

    The Ministry of Labour, in partnership with the International Labour Organization, organized a two-day conference to discuss the effects of heat stress on the workplace, and the current and future measures to mitigate its impact. The conference aimed to adopt an advanced approach to address heat stress in the work environment, keeping in line with global and regional trends.

     Participants included representatives from governments, workers, and employers in Arab countries, as well as international and regional experts and academics from major universities in the United States, European Union, Singapore, Mexico, Greece, and South Africa.

    The participants recommended the need for all countries to adopt effective policies to prevent heat stress, particularly in particular, and that some countries still do not adopt practical and effective control measures at the level of their work environment.

Participants in the final recommendations of the conference stressed that the measures implemented to reduce the exposure of workers to the risks of occupational heat stress need to be developed and new policies should be found to strengthen and support them.

They explained that prolonged exposure to high temperatures affects and reduces work productivity, and leads to risks of exposure to injuries, diseases and death for workers, noting that exposure to the effects of high temperatures does not only affect workers in open and closed areas when there is no temperature control.

    They emphasized the necessity of exchanging expertise and experiences among the countries of the world, especially the experiences in America, Europe, Africa and Asia, which constitute important points that can be reflected in the experience of the Arab region, noting that heat stress affects workers regardless of their age, gender and nationalities.

    The conference served as a platform for participants, specialists, and those interested to exchange knowledge, expertise, and successful experiences in reducing the impact of heat stress. The attendees discussed ways to enhance labor protection, as well as mechanisms to improve occupational safety and health in the work environment.

    The conference, which will be held on May 9-10, addressed topics related to the Qatari experience, the regulatory mechanisms it implemented to reduce heat stress and legislation regulating working hours during the summer period, in addition to reviewing some experiences in the Arab region regarding the reduction and prevention of heat stress.(QNA)