The ‘Beat the Heat’ mobile campaign by the “Kulluna for Health and Safety” programme, yesterday started with the Kulluna-caravan visiting four different construction worksites to enlighten the workers.
The first point of call by the caravan was a construction site within the Rumailah Hospital complex. Each of the workers was handed a pack containing information pamphlet, cool water and a fruit.
The workers are expected to learn about heat-illnesses from the booklet, which was produced in four different languages – English, Arabic, Hindi and Malayalam.
The latest drive by Kulluna is supported by ConocoPhilips Qatar as founding sponsor and the Qatar Centre for Voluntary Activities (QCVA).
Some of the workers described the initiative as a good one saying the information in the booklet will assist them to know more about heat-illnesses.
“From this booklet, I have learnt about electrolytes and the need to drink fruit juices aside from water in order to prevent dehydration and avoid heat-related complications,” 33-year-old mason Mohamed Abdulhamid Mohamed said.
Electrolytes affect the amount of water in the body, the acidity of the blood (pH), the muscle function, and other important processes.
Another mason, Ayman Fawzi, aged 36 years, also expressed similar sentiments. “I thank Hamad Medical Corporation and the Hamad International Training Centre for organising this campaign. It will be useful for many of us,” he said.
According to Indian expatriate Ajuraj, a firefighting supervisor at the site, there has been no heat-related emergencies on the site.
“We still believe that education is an important tool to further prevent ourselves from those illnesses,” he said.
He said that the site manager had made available proper safety equipment as well as oral rehydration salt and enough cool water to ensure the workers are safe at all times.
Speaking earlier during the launch of the campaign, Kulluna programme chairman Dr Khalid Abdulnoor Saifeldeen said heat-related illnesses such as heat stress, heat stroke and heat exhaustion can damage the brain and other vital organs and can as well as cause death in extreme cases.
“During summer days and nights, numerous cases of dehydration and heat related illnesses are being presented to the Emergency departments and the vast majority of cases are seen in outdoor workers,” he had said.
http://www.gulf-times.com/qatar/178/details/363908/%E2%80%98beat-the-heat%E2%80%99-drive-starts
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