Al Thumama Stadium has achieved a significant milestone by becoming the latest FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 project site to reach 20mn working hours without a lost time injury.
The milestone was reached thanks to rigorous health and safety standards implemented by the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) in collaboration with Al Thumama Stadium’s main contractors – a joint venture between Al Jaber Engineering LLC and Tekfen Construction – and project manager TiME Qatar, sc.qa reports.
This latest milestone follows similar achievements in safe working hours met at Al Rayyan Stadium in July.
Located in the residential Al Thumama district, close to Doha's Hamad International Airport, the 40,000-capacity stadium is set to host matches up to and including the quarter-final stage during Qatar 2022.
A creation of renowned Qatari architect Ibrahim M Jaidah, the stadium’s design is inspired by the 'gahfiya', a traditional woven cap worn for centuries by men in many Arab countries. The intricate, thoughtful design of Al Thumama Stadium represents both the past and the future – not only of Qatar but also the whole Arab world.
“We are very proud to achieve this milestone,” said Saoud al-Ansari, SC project director, Al Thumama Stadium. “The health and safety of our workforce is our number one priority – and milestones like this only serve to illustrate that fact.”
Abdulla al-Bishri, the SC’s Health & Safety manager, added: “Once again, it is a pleasure to see that the stringent health and safety processes and procedures we implemented across our sites have achieved these results at Al Thumama Stadium.
“My congratulations to the workers, contractors and project managers who have assured that this stadium project has been a healthy and safe environment during construction.”
Due to be completed by 2021, Al Thumama Stadium has seen significant progress made in its construction, with the stadium's concrete frame, upper-tier stands and roof columns all completed. Once completed, the stadium’s precinct will also feature 50,000sqm of public park area, with native vegetation and almost 400 trees covering 84% of the landscape.
The Qatar 2022 venue has already been recognised for its design, winning The Architectural Review Future Project Award in May 2018.
After the FIFA World Cup 2022, Al Thumama Stadium's seating capacity will be reduced from 40,000 to 20,000. The seats removed from the stadium will be donated to countries in need of sporting infrastructure. The remaining 20,000-seat arena will be used for football and other sporting events. In addition, a branch of Aspetar Sports Clinic will open on site, while a boutique hotel will replace the stadium’s upper stands.
"The SC is committed to investing in workers’ wellbeing. Health and safety is the number one priority on all SC projects, and every worker engaged on a Qatar World Cup project is trained to recognise risks and safeguard their own wellbeing. The SC provides a level of training and education that not only fully prepares workers for the job in hand, but also enhances their future opportunities when they leave SC projects," the report states.
In 2017, the SC signed a partnership with Qatar International Safety Centre (QISC) to deliver safety training to all SC workers. The contract with QISC has to date resulted in more than 22,000 workers engaged on Qatar’s FIFA World Cup 2022 projects receiving safety training.
The SC also carries out training and awareness sessions for contractors to improve their understanding and implementation of the SC’s Workers' Welfare Standards.
