What OSH training must employers provide to workers in Qatar?

Qatari law sets a few specific training duties rather than a full training regulation. Every worker must be told the risks of the job and the protective measures when starting work, first-aiders must be trained, all workers must receive heat-stress training by the beginning of May each year, and paramedics and OSH supervisors must be trained to guide workers in hot weather. Law No. 9 of 2026 adds an accredited certificate for trades that the Ministry designates.

Short answer

• Induction: on starting work, inform each worker of the risks of the work and the protective measures; post detailed safety instructions in a conspicuous place (Labour Law No. 14 of 2004, Article 99).
• First aid: each first-aid box (one per group of 5 to 25 workers) is entrusted to a worker trained in first aid (Article 104); an appropriate number of workers must be trained to give first aid until a paramedic or doctor arrives (Decision No. 16 of 2005).
• Heat stress: training for all workers by the beginning of May each year, plus trained paramedics and OSH supervisors (Ministerial Decision No. 17 of 2021, Article 4).
• Vocational certificates: Law No. 9 of 2026 requires workers in occupations designated by the Ministry of Labour to hold a training certificate or pass an examination at an accredited centre before they start; the list is set by later ministerial decisions.
• No fixed hours: Qatari law does not set minimum course hours or renewal intervals for general OSH training; contracts usually do. Türkiye, by contrast, requires at least 8, 12 or 16 lesson hours of basic training, repeated every 3, 2 or 1 years by hazard class.

What each duty means in practice

Induction under Article 99

The law does not prescribe a length or syllabus, but it does require that each worker understands the risks of the work and how to protect against them. Much of Qatar's workforce is migrant and many workers do not read English or Arabic well, so briefings and posted instructions need to be in the languages of the workforce, with pictograms where possible. Keep a signed record: it is the employer's evidence that Article 99 was met, and breaching Article 99 carries a fine under Article 144.

Heat-stress training by May

Decision No. 17 of 2021 sets a calendar deadline: training must be complete by the beginning of May, before the summer working-hours ban (10:00 to 15:30 from 1 June to 15 September) and before the hottest weeks. Typical content covers symptoms of heat illness, drinking water, rest in shade, self-pacing, the WBGT stop at 32.1 °C and how to raise concerns; workers have the right to stop work and complain if they believe heat stress threatens their safety. The decision does not apply to companies working on oil and gas projects, whose operators set their own heat training.

Vocational certificates under Law No. 9 of 2026

The 2026 amendment introduces a requirement for professional qualification in certain occupations, through a training certificate or a professional examination at a centre accredited by the Ministry of Labour. The occupations are to be designated by ministerial decisions, and the summaries we read did not yet list them, so check whether a list has been issued and whether trades such as electricians, scaffolders or equipment operators are on it before mobilising workers.

Client and contract requirements

Large clients add their own training rules. The energy company's contractor HSE regulations (QP-REG-S-001, Rev. 3 of 2009), for example, require an HSE induction, a competence development programme and certified crane and forklift operators. Construction clients commonly require site inductions, toolbox talks and task training for work at height, confined spaces and permit-to-work.

Common mistakes

• Running heat-stress training in June, after the deadline at the beginning of May.
• Giving induction only in English to a workforce that does not read it.
• Assuming a home-country trade certificate is enough once an occupation is on the Ministry's list.

Related on excodex

• Occupational safety and health in Qatar: law, authorities and employer duties
• OSH competence and training: needs, induction and effectiveness
• Is a written risk assessment mandatory in Qatar?
• Heat stress, WBGT, cold stress and thermal comfort

Standards and further reading

• Law No. 14 of 2004 promulgating the Labour Law, Articles 99 and 104, Al Meezan legal portal: almeezan.qa (search for Law No. 14 of 2004); English text used: Al Meezan export.pdf)
• Ministerial Decision No. 17 of 2021 on heat stress (unofficial translation): gulfmigration.grc.net
• Decision No. 16 of 2005 on medical care for workers (summary): gulfmigration.grc.net
• Law No. 9 of 2026 amending the Labour Law, State of Qatar (check the text on Al Meezan); press report of 5 July 2026: qatar-tribune.com
• Türkiye: Regulation on the Procedures and Principles of Employees' OSH Training (Çalışanların İş Sağlığı ve Güvenliği Eğitimlerinin Usul ve Esasları Hakkında Yönetmelik), Official Gazette 2 April 2026

This article is general occupational safety and health information prepared by the excodex editorial team. It does not replace the applicable legislation, standards, manufacturers' instructions or the assessment of a competent OSH professional or occupational physician.