Call for ‘training of staff at every level’

Alan Crawford, head of HSE at QPM, said regarding the industry in Qatar: “The framework that construction companies are expected to comply with is being amplified in the soon-to-be-released 2014 version of the Qatar Construction Specifications (QCS) manual.”

Crawford said the challenges in the sector vary based on a company’s size and its overall HSE framework, but in general, the biggest barriers most companies have are in implementing these standards across the organisation at every level.

Part of this is because many migrant workers who come to work in the construction industry in Qatar and the region are unaware of health and safety standards.

He said this is not applicable only to site workers, adding: “The knowledge gap can exist at many levels for a variety of reasons. This creates a need for education, particularly in hazard identification and risk assessment. This is why QPM has invested in becoming an accredited Institute of Occupational Safety and Health training provider to allow us to pass on these much-needed skills to our employees, allowing them to further impart their knowledge to site employees.”

“Much of the health and safety legislation within the Middle East is based on the risk management and self-regulating approach of the UK’s Health and Safety at Work Act of 1974. The UK has just undergone a complete review of their Health and Safety at Work Act. As part of this review, construction design and management regulations are being revamped,” said Crawford, adding: “QCS 2010, which is the current guide for the industry, is closely related to these regulations and that’s why it is encouraging for us that the Qatar Construction Specifications guide is also being reviewed by the government to take advantage of international developments.”

He, however, added: “All the reviews in the world will not educate a workforce. Unanimous commitment to training and education by the leading companies in the field is the only way to define progress. There are also a few challenges we need to consider when developing from business partnerships.”