Occupational Safety and Work-Related Injury Control Efforts in Qatar: Lessons Learned from a Rapidly Developing Economy

Rafael J. Consunji, Amber Mehmood, Nazia Hirani, Ayman El-Menyar, Aisha Abeid, Adnan A. Hyder, Hassan Al-Thani and Ruben Peralta
Additional contact information
Rafael J. Consunji: Hamad Injury Prevention Program, Hamad Trauma Centre, Department of Surgery, Hamad General Hospital, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha 3050, Qatar
Amber Mehmood: International Injury Research Unit, Department of International Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
Nazia Hirani: Hamad Injury Prevention Program, Hamad Trauma Centre, Department of Surgery, Hamad General Hospital, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha 3050, Qatar
Ayman El-Menyar: Hamad Injury Prevention Program, Hamad Trauma Centre, Department of Surgery, Hamad General Hospital, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha 3050, Qatar
Aisha Abeid: Hamad Injury Prevention Program, Hamad Trauma Centre, Department of Surgery, Hamad General Hospital, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha 3050, Qatar
Adnan A. Hyder: Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
Hassan Al-Thani: Hamad Injury Prevention Program, Hamad Trauma Centre, Department of Surgery, Hamad General Hospital, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha 3050, Qatar
Ruben Peralta: Hamad Injury Prevention Program, Hamad Trauma Centre, Department of Surgery, Hamad General Hospital, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha 3050, Qatar

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 18, 1-12

Abstract: Work-related injury (WRI) control is an integral part of occupational safety. In rapidly developing Gulf countries such as Qatar with a predominantly expatriate workforce, WRI control is a complex issue often seen in conjunction with the implementation of labour laws and labour rights. We aimed to implement a public health approach to facilitate efforts to achieve long-term WRI control in Qatar. A range of initiatives helped to gain visibility and momentum for this important public health problem, including identifying and engaging with key stakeholders, workers’ surveys, steps to establish a unified injury database, and the implementation of a WRI identification tool in the electronic medical records. A contemporaneous improved enforcement of existent occupational safety regulations through heightened worksite inspections and efforts to improve living conditions for migrant workers also took place. WRIs are not only a Qatar-specific problem; the same issues are faced by neighbouring Gulf countries and other rapidly developing economies with large expatriate worker populations. These strategies are also useful starting points for similar countries interested in nurturing a safe, healthy and productive workforce.

Keywords: work-related injury; occupational injuries; Qatar; injury prevention; migrant workers; Middle East (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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