Occupational safety International framework and country guides
Are pre-employment and periodic medical examinations required for workers in Qatar?
Part of: Occupational safety and health in Qatar: law, authorities and employer duties
Short answer
Yes. Qatari rules require an initial check-up and medical file for workers, periodic examinations for workers exposed to occupational disease risks, and a free annual health check under the heat-stress decision. Occupational diseases must be notified within 3 days.
Yes. Decision No. 16 of 2005 requires medical check-ups and a medical file for every worker starting with the initial examination, Article 105 of the Labour Law and Decision No. 19 of 2005 require periodic examinations for workers exposed to occupational disease risks, and Decision No. 17 of 2021 adds a free annual health check aimed at conditions that raise heat-stress risk. A diagnosed occupational disease must be notified to the Ministry of Labour within 3 days.
Short answer
- Initial examination and medical file: Decision No. 16 of 2005 lists medical check-ups for all workers and a medical file for each worker recording the initial check-up, health conditions, injuries, absences and treatment.
- Periodic examinations: for workers exposed to the risk of occupational diseases, at intervals that match the risk, with types and intervals set by the competent authority (Labour Law No. 14 of 2004, Article 105). Decision No. 19 of 2005 lists the occupational diseases to be checked for in different sectors and what to do when a worker is affected.
- Annual heat-stress health check: every year, free of charge to the worker, to diagnose and manage chronic diseases that add to heat-stress risk, with records kept (Decision No. 17 of 2021, Article 4). Oil and gas projects are outside this decision.
- Cost and time: the employer facilitates the examinations, provides the data needed and pays the worker for the time spent (Decision No. 19 of 2005, Article 10).
- Notification: if an examination reveals an occupational disease, notify the Ministry of Labour within 3 days of knowing the result (Article 105).
How the rules fit together
The Labour Law sets the principle and the two key duties: periodic examinations for exposed workers and notification of any occupational disease found. Results must be kept in the worker's file. The detail is delegated to the competent authorities, which in practice means the health ministry as "competent medical authority" together with the Ministry of Labour.
Decision No. 16 of 2005 is wider than the law. Its list of employer-provided medical care includes check-ups for all workers, laboratory tests and X-rays, medicines needed for treatment outside hospital, vaccinations advised by the health authority, programmes for early detection of occupational diseases, supervision of food and health facilities, and a study of working conditions used to guide the medical examinations.
Expatriate workers also undergo a medical examination by the Medical Commission as part of the residence permit process. That is a public-health and immigration check, not an assessment of fitness for a specific job, so it does not replace the employer's examinations.
Who decides intervals and content
We could not read the full Arabic text of Decision No. 19 of 2005 for this article, so the exact intervals per disease are not given here. The law says intervals must match the risk, and the decision sets them by occupational disease and activity. An occupational physician should set the programme from the exposure assessment:
| Exposure example | Typical surveillance (good practice) | Who decides |
|---|---|---|
| Noise above action levels | Audiometry at baseline and periodically | Occupational physician, following the decision's schedule |
| Dusts such as silica | Respiratory questionnaire, lung function, chest imaging | Occupational physician |
| Solvents, lead, other chemicals | Biological monitoring where a method exists | Occupational physician |
| Outdoor work in heat | Annual check for chronic conditions | Required by Decision 17/2021 |
Example: A precast concrete plant with 220 workers records initial check-ups in each worker's file, runs baseline audiometry and lung function for cutting and grinding crews, repeats them at the intervals set by its occupational physician in line with Decision No. 19 of 2005, and books annual heat-stress health checks for its yard workers before May. When one worker's audiogram shows noise-induced hearing loss confirmed by the physician, the HR manager notifies the Ministry of Labour within 3 days.
Breaching Article 105 can lead to up to one month's imprisonment and/or a fine of QAR 2,000 to 6,000 under Article 145 (as replaced by Law No. 18 of 2020, same amounts), multiplied by the number of workers affected.
Common mistakes
- Treating the residence-permit medical as the occupational examination.
- Keeping results only at the clinic: Article 105 requires the employer to keep them in the worker's own file.
- Forgetting the 3-day notification of an occupational disease.
- Deducting the examination time from wages: Decision No. 19 of 2005 requires the employer to pay for it.
Related on excodex
- Occupational safety and health in Qatar: law, authorities and employer duties
- Must an employer in Qatar appoint a safety professional or an occupational physician?
- Health surveillance: medical examinations and tests
- How and within what time must a workplace accident be reported in Qatar?
Standards and further reading
- Law No. 14 of 2004 promulgating the Labour Law, Article 105, Al Meezan legal portal: almeezan.qa (search for Law No. 14 of 2004); English text used: Al Meezan export.pdf)
- Decision No. 19 of 2005 on periodic medical examinations for workers exposed to occupational disease (summary): gulfmigration.grc.net
- Decision No. 16 of 2005 on medical care for workers (summary): gulfmigration.grc.net
- Ministerial Decision No. 17 of 2021 on heat stress (unofficial translation): gulfmigration.grc.net
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.
More questions on this topic
- What is the main occupational safety and health law in Qatar and who enforces it?
- Must an employer in Qatar appoint a safety professional or an occupational physician?
- Is a written risk assessment mandatory in Qatar, and how often must it be reviewed?
- How and within what time must a workplace accident be reported in Qatar?
- What OSH training must employers provide to workers in Qatar?
- What are the penalties for breaking occupational safety rules in Qatar?
- Is a safety committee or a worker safety representative required in Qatar?
- How are explosive atmospheres and Ex equipment regulated in Qatar?
Part of: Occupational safety and health in Qatar: law, authorities and employer duties