HE Minister of Administrative Development, Labor and Social Affairs Dr Issa bin Saad Al Jafali Al Nuaimi, on Saturday stressed that Qatar is free from fatal accidents and infectious diseases among workers, noting that such cases often occur as a result of human error.
In his address before the First Conference on Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) held in Doha today under the slogan "Health and Safety of Workers First," HE Al Nuaimi stressed that the State of Qatar spares no effort to provide workers in the workplace and their accommodation with maximum protection. Authorities prosecute both companies and individuals for violating the law, he went on saying.
The Minister of Administrative Development, Labor and Social Affairs highlighted the importance of transparency and credibility in dealing with OHS issues and the exchange of information and data related to accidents. Qatar has nothing to 'hide' or 'conceal,' he stressed in this regard. 
HE Al Nuaimi also shed light on the State of Qatar's policy based on three pillars of : legislation and proper procedures being put in place to protect workers in both workplace and accommodations ; an enhanced supervisory level implemented thanks to trained human capabilities and sufficient authority to prevent any violations of the Law or Work Health and Safety Regulations; spreading more awareness of OHS issues among workers and employers.
In this context, Dr. Al Nuaimi pointed out that the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labor and Social Affairs, through the Labor Inspection Department, has carried out thousands of inspection tours to workplaces and workers' housing to ensure employers comply with the relevant laws and ministerial decisions guaranteeing their OHS rights.
Inspection tours have also been carried out within teams and committees of other ministries, including the Ministries of Interior, Municipalities, Environment and Public Health, he added.
The State of Qatar attaches great importance to occupational health and safety of all citizens and expatriate workers, HE Al Nuaimi said, pointing out that this important conference organized in coincidence with the World Day for Safety and Health at Work celebrated every 28 April comes within Qatar's keenness to provide a platform designed to foster the exchange of expertise and experience, and promotes an understanding and dialogue among the concerned authorities in Qatar and various stakeholders.
This year's first edition of the Conference brought together a large number of keynote speakers and OHS experts from Qatar and abroad, the Minister added. 
For his part, the Gulf Organization for Industrial Consulting (GOIC) Secretary-General, Abdulaziz Bin Hamad Al Ageel, said the first edition of conference is taking place within the GCC countries' approach to implement preventive OHS measures to ensure all workers in all sectors by reducing work-related accident rates to zero, especially in the industrial sector. 
He stressed in this regard that the GCC countries have imposed rules aimed at guaranteeing workers and facilities safety and security as well as protecting the environment in all productive and economic activities. 
Since its inception, GOIC has supported the industrial sector of the GCC member states by providing them with the necessary support to both industrial establishments and their employees, noting the organization's contribution in GCC industrial development, Al Ageel said. 
For his part, Director-General of the Arab Labor Organization (ALO) Fayez Ali Al Mutairi, hailed the considerable attention given by the State of Qatar, especially the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labor and Social Affairs, to issues of occupational health and safety, protection of working environment and the promotion of human dignity. 
In this context, Al Mutairi stressed ALO's support for the efforts being exerted by the Government of the State of Qatar to enhance the protection of workers and guarantee their rights in accordance with national legislation and Arab and international labor standards. 
The first conference on Occupational Health and Safety organized by the Gulf Organization for Industrial Consultancy (GOIC) and the Hawkamah Public Relations Center and sponsored by the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labor and Social Affairs has witnessed the inauguration of National Book on Occupational Health and Safety, which includes reports by government and OHS private companies as well as legislative and procedural developments in Qatar. 
The conference aims to shed light on the mechanisms for the protection of workers in factories and construction sector of accidents along with legal and legislative aspects taken by the State of Qatar to protect workers, installations and machinery. 
The conference includes three plenary sessions on "Government Agencies in Occupational Health and Safety;" "International Standards in Occupational Health and Safety" and "Injuries and Diseases of Workers: Between the Law and Practice. 

Source: QNA