Call for all countries to adopt heat stress prevention policies

Participants of the International Conference on Occupational Heat Stress have highlighted the need for all countries to adopt effective policies to prevent heat stress. This came at the conclusion of the two-day conference in Doha Wednesday.Held under the theme 'Implementation of Practices, Sharing of Experiences', the conference was inaugurated by HE Dr Ali bin Samikh al-Marri, Minister of Labour, on Tuesday. The conference, organised by the Ministry of Labour in partnership with the International Labour Organisation (ILO), discussed the impact of heat stress on the work environment, current and future measures and challenges, and the opportunities to adopt an advanced approach to mitigate the impact of heat stress on the work environment, in accordance with global and regional trends, the official Qatar News Agency reported.Representatives of governments, workers and employers from Arab countries participated in the conference, in addition to a group of international and regional experts specialised in occupational heat stress prevention strategies from the ILO, and academics from major universities in the United States, European Union, Singapore, Mexico, Greece and South Africa.The participants recommended that all countries adopt effective policies to prevent heat stress, especially as some nations are yet to adopt practical and effective control measures within the work environment. In the final recommendations of the conference, the participants highlighted the need to develop the procedures implemented to reduce the exposure of workers to the risks of occupational heat stress, as well as to find new policies to enhance them. They pointed out that prolonged exposure to high temperatures negatively affects the level of labour productivity, and leads to the exposure of workers to injuries, diseases and death.They also noted that exposure to the effects of high temperatures is not limited to workers in open areas, but it also affects workers in closed areas when the temperature level in the work environment is not controlled.They emphasised the importance of exchanging expertise and experiences related to occupational heat stress among different countries of the world, in order to develop more effective measures that can be applied in the Arab region, pointing to the impact of heat stress on workers regardless of their age, gender and nationality.The conference served as a platform for the participants, specialists in the field and those interested in the issue to exchange knowledge, expertise and successful experiences in reducing the impact of heat stress. The attendees discussed ways to enhance labour protection and mechanisms to improve occupational safety and health in the work environment.