Going for safety in Qatar

The accident occurred when the men fell from the third stage of a scaffold being used during the construction of an extension to the Ramada Hotel in Doha. There has also been a general increase in the number of accidents on work sites.

Qatar's National Human Rights Committee is drafting the new code of practice in conjunction with the Ministry of Economy and Commerce and the Labour Department, with the code currently being finalised. It will cover all aspects of safety, from basics human rights through to detailed safety guidelines with particular emphasis on manual labourers in the construction sector.

The new legislation will require companies working in Qatar to provide certain fundamental necessities, including adequate safety clothing.

It is not just Qatar where concerns over safety are being voiced in the Gulf construction industry. The Dubai Municipality recently issued a report stating that there were 39 construction worker fatalities caused by falls from scaffold in 2005. Immediately following this report's publication, another accident occurred, causing one worker to be crushed to death and another to be seriously injured when scaffolding on a site on Dubai's Al Diyafah Road collapsed.