The Qatar Mobility Innovations Centre (Qmic) launched its Smart Heat Stress Monitoring Solution, on Tuesday at the EnviroteQ Exhibition being held at Doha Exhibition & Convention Centre.
Considered the first of its kind in the region, the smart, automated and comprehensive system can monitor heat stress to support workers’ occupational safety, in particular, and public health, in general. 
The solution overcomes the shortcomings of current monitoring methods by integrating Qmic’s innovative monitoring stations with its smart IoT (Internet of Things) platform for data storage, management, and delivery.
The main objective is to monitor and calculate the Heat Stress Index (HSI) in real time. HSI is the global standard indicator to determine the effect of heat on the human body. If HSI exceeds a certain specified limit, the weather is deemed too dangerous for manual labour and all work must be halted. 
HSI monitoring has been covered and identified by the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs in Qatar as one of the most vital safety precautions that all work sites must abide by. 
The platform utilises the power of IoT to analyse information from dedicated sensors, designed and built by Qmic that automatically collect relevant data such as temperature and humidity to calculate HSI. Data is continuously transmitted from the sensors to Qmic’s Hawa’ak platform where it is transformed to comprehensible information to be accessed by work site safety managers and others. 
The solution features several methods of delivery for important information, such as email, text message, phone application, or the desktop portal and the safety officer will always be aware of the weather conditions at each site. 
Dr Adnan Abu-Dayya, the executive director (CEO) of Qmic said, “We are pleased to introduce an innovative solution that can finally automate the process of monitoring heat index conditions in a timely and accurate manner so that proper actions can be taken to enhance workers’ safety and the public safety at large. As one of the first IoT technology enterprises in the region, we are pleased to offer yet another IoT smart solution that uses our own IoT platform and leverages our extensive sensor development capabilities.”
With this solution, measurements are automatic and location specific, eliminating the need to send workers to the field to change flag colours during hostile weather conditions. The system uses accurate sensors that are calibrated frequently to ensure precise readings, while the accuracy of the manual methods can be very low. The system will also provide advanced data analytics and reporting features for future planning. 
The platform can work in any outdoor setting to protect and ensure the safety of individuals. It can be installed across a wide array of environments from school outdoor playgrounds, to construction sites or oil and gas fields.
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