As part of its ongoing efforts to safeguard employee welfare, Msheireb Properties has launched a campaign to reduce construction-related hand injuries.According to research by the Qatar National Health Strategy, hand and finger injuries account for more time lost in the construction industry than any other type of injury.In total, workplace injuries account for the third highest cause of fatal accidents in Qatar.The new hand safety campaign is part of the ‘Safety First’ awareness drive launched by Msheireb Properties in 2011, which aim to promote a culture of safety among both contractors and employees working at its signature project, Msheireb Downtown Doha.The initiative is to reduce hand and fingers injuries by educating workers about the importance of wearing protective clothing and rigorously following best practices in construction. The safety-first message will be driven home with the help of special information packs and group workshops.Msheireb Properties Projects director Eng Mohamad al-Marri said: “Msheireb Properties strives daily to ensure the adherence to the highest standards of safety in the workplace. The hand and finger injury awareness campaign will further energise our ongoing safety efforts and reinforce our commitment to the Qatar National Health Strategy.”As part of the established safety programme, the company ensures that all new hires go through an induction training prior to their involvement in the project. Procedures in place include daily toolbox talks by supervisors and weekly ones by the Health Safety Environment (HSE) staff; Risk Assessment done by every contractor; and daily inspection of the work area carried out by the HSE staff to identify any unsafe conditions or actions, if any. The external auditors conduct a bi-annual HSE audit, which is in addition to monthly HSE audit conducted by the internal HSE officer.