OREANDA-NEWS. December 12, 2013. Qatar Petroleum’s HSE Regulations and Enforcement Directorate  recently hosted the 16th Industry Health Advisors Forum (IHAF) and the Clean Canteen Campaign, which were both aimed at ensuring the safety and welfare of workers within the oil and gas industry and of society at large.

In his opening speech at the IHAF meeting, Mr. Saif Al-Naimi, Director of QP’s HSE Regulations and Enforcement Directorate, emphasized that the welfare of the workforce must always come first and foremost in the activities of industry operators. He also appreciated the continuous collaboration between the Supreme Council of Health (SCH) and QP on efforts to achieve the objectives of the Qatar National Vision 2030, the National Development Strategy and the National Health Strategy 2011-2016 as well as on the implementation of best industry practices within the oil and gas industry.

The 16th IHAF, which was held at the W Doha Hotel, was attended by over 115 healthcare representatives from QP, SCH, the Ministry of Labor, QP’s joint ventures and subsidiaries, contractors, other oil and gas operators, Qatar University, Weil Cornell Medical College in Qatar, and University of Calgary-Qatar.

In his speech at the event, Dr. Mohamed Al-Hajri, Director of Health Protection and Communicable Diseases Control at the SCH, noted that the forum was a welcome opportunity for knowledge sharing and for updating all the stakeholders on various health issues. He also noted that the speeches and presentations covered many aspects of healthcare activities and were at the core of worker welfare in line with the State’s requirements.

The presentations and discussions included topics such as the updates on the World Health Organization’s International Health Regulations (IHR) 2005, the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV), workplace wellness plan, psychosocial welfare, healthcare licensing and accreditation, occupational health, and quality improvement methodologies and success stories.

For the Clean Canteen Campaign Mr. Al-Naimi emphasized the importance of providing workers with healthy and safe food through effective cascading of information and requirements, as well as by increasing awareness among all stakeholders, operators and contractors. He also stressed to all catering contractors the importance of safe and healthy food by ensuring that they comply with the State’s legal requirements, industry guidance and procedures and others, as applicable. It was also noted that the planning team has been actively working on the strategy and planning for the campaign over the last 8 months.

In his opening speech for the Clean Canteen Campaign, Sheikh Dr. Mohamed Al-Thani, Director of Public Health at the SCH, highlighted the commitment of the State of Qatar to achieve excellence in its healthcare system and public health policies, and he also underscored the importance of setting up and implementing the requirements for safe and healthy food. He also reiterated the commitment of the professional teams at the SCH to continue to work with the oil and gas industry and to support its initiatives, as has been the case over the past several years.