OREANDA-NEWS. May 23, 2013. The Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Department of Qatar Petroleum’s Industrial Cities Directorate and QP's HSE Regulations & Enforcement Directorate, in collaboration with the Occupational Health Division of QP’s Medical Services Department, recently held an occupational health workshop focusing on heat stress.

The workshop was very timely, considering that this is the time of the year when people in Qatar are likely to be exposed to heat stress, especially those working outdoors or in hot indoor environments. Though every year sees a number of workers suffer from occupational heat exposure requiring medical intervention, a large proportion of these incidents could have been prevented. It is thus imperative for employers to protect their workers against such risk by putting in place a sustainable heat stress management program.

The workshop, which was held at Mesaieed Industrial City (MIC), convened over 100 occupational health professionals from QP and other companies located in MIC and Ras Laffan Industrial City, and it also involved the participation of delegates from the Supreme Council of Health and the Ministry of Labour.

Held with the theme “Understanding the Management of Heat Stress in the Industrial Cities Directorate,” the workshop discussed the latest approaches in managing heat stress in the industry and in promoting professional knowledge and skills related to this condition. The presentations during the workshop focused on major topics such as heat stress signs and symptoms, heat stress management in the oil and gas industry, heat stress guidelines and current practice, heat acclimatization, and the EMS Procedure on calling on heat stress incidence.

The workshop concluded with an open discussion, during which the participants shared their insights and experiences concerning workplace heat stress management at national and international levels. They also stressed the positive impact of such gatherings on heat stress risk awareness and prevention.