Doha: About 15,000 Qatar Rail workers will benefit from a new training centre recently launched by the entity as part of its efforts to ensure the highest standards of health and safety on its sites.
Thought to be the first of its kind in the region, the state-of-the-art centre is Premium level accredited by Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, the UK’s awarding organisation on topics relevant to health, wellbeing and safety.
Located in the Green Line underground offices, employees who undergo training are among the key personnel in construction of the Doha Metro project.
Engineer Jassim Al Ansari, Director, Green Line Project, said: “The centre reflects the importance Qatar Rail places on operating to the highest international standards of occupational health and safety. “The information and support we transmit through the initiative provides tools to encourage a culture of occupational health and safety and helps safeguard our employees, partners and the wider public.”
The centre offers training on health and safety across all levels which can be for up to five days. Training includes workshops from tunnelling and construction inductions to working in confined spaces, first aid, risk assessment, vehicle and plant movement, working at heights, and electrical and fire safety, among others.
Training is given by a team of accredited trainers along with Arabic and Indian interpreters.
As part of Qatar Rail’s continuous improvement approach, the training intends to get accreditation from the National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health later this year to deliver level five and six courses.
“We are proud of the centre because it provides international standards of training to workers which we see as a crucial step in giving the country a world-class transportation system to be proud of.
“Doha Metro is a flagship project for Qatar and we want to ensure that all those involved in its delivery are given the very best training and support” added Al Ansari.
The first phase of Doha Metro project is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2019, and the Lusail Tram in 2020.
By 2030, all three networks — Doha Metro, Lusail Tram and the long-distance rail, which will link Qatar with the GCC rail network, are expected to be completed. With the completion of the first phase of Doha Metro and Lusail Tram, Qatar Rail expects to offer 600,000 passenger trips a day by 2021. By then, 37 metro stations are expected to be completed, with an average journey time of three minutes between adjacent stations.
The Peninsula
