QMIC Updates its HUMEDIX Solution Portfolio to Better Serve Local Needs

QMIC Updates its HUMEDIX Solution Portfolio to Better Serve Local Needs

  • WBGT Index measurement method introduced in support of Ministry Mandate
  • Introduced solutions customized to large enterprises and SMEs introduced
  • A new HUMEDIX mobile application available

Feb 01: Qatar Mobility Innovations Center (QMIC) has introduced a new updated portfolio of its automated heat stress monitoring & work safety solution “HUMIDEX” to better adapt to the new health standards in the State of Qatar, and better serve the evolving needs of the market.

HUMIDEX is an automated heat stress monitoring platform and a work safety solution developed by QMIC to help protect individuals who work in harsh environmental conditions and automatically alert safety officers and other impacted individuals when conditions reach dangerous levels. Work environment and conditions with hot weather and high humidity can put significant heat stress on workers’ health. Hence strict regulations are introduced and associated operational processes are implemented in countries around the world including Qatar and other GCC countries to ensure the safety of people who spend time outdoor during hot and humid weather conditions.

By digitizing the whole process of monitoring heat stress and delivering necessary info to different stakeholders, QMIC’s HUMIDEX platform provides multiple key benefits compared to traditional and mostly manual methods which have been traditionally used to implement occupational Heat Stress safety regulations. These benefits include: the use of accurate local data, generation and delivery of automatic alerts through multiple media channels, ability to display info digitally in the field through LED lights & digital screens, creation of a data bank which can be used for planning and prediction, supporting multiple measurement methods based on applicable local regulations, providing a reliable and consistent method of enforcing heat stress regulations across multiple sites, etc.  

In May 2021, The Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs (ADLSA) in Qatar has issued a ministerial decision (number 17 of 2021) specifying measures to protect workers from occupational heat stress. In this ministerial decision, which does not apply to the activities undertaken by companies working on oil and gas projects, ADLSA mandated the use of the WetBulb Global Temperature (WBGT) index to assess the level of occupational heat stress.

In support of the ADLSA ministerial decision, QMIC updated its HUMIDEX platform to use WBGT index as an alternative method of measuring the level of occupational heat stress. WBGT method differs from the Heat Stress Index (HSI) measurement method (which has been used in the first version of the HUMEDIX platform) in several factors and measured by reading extra parameters of Globe Temperature and Wet Bulb Temperature, whereas HSI takes into account ambient temperature and humidity only. Additionally, HSI could be used only in shady areas; however, WBGT measures the heat stress in direct sunlight and is affected by wind speed, sun angle and solar radiation, which can provide a more accurate result.

Furthermore, using the updated HUMEDIX platform, QMIC is new offering different HUMEDIX solutions which can be customized for deployment by large enterprises that require advanced field notifications technique by using LED lights and digital screens to allow field personnel to be aware of Heat Stress conditions all the time, and solutions for deployment by Small/Medium enterprises which do not need advanced filed notification techniques and can rely solely on providing info and alerts to key personnel managing the heat stress process.

Mr. Omar Al-Jaber, Director of Strategic Partnerships & Outreach at QMIC said:” We are happy to announce the new update for Humidex. We focused on a new technology to align with the requirements of the Ministry to serve the local community. These updates are important to help in providing the safety measures required and we ensure having multiple versions of the system to cater to different sizes of entities from schools to parks, construction site, oil&gas and others. Moreover, we are glad to announce about our new mobile application which will help managers and supervisors keep on top of whats happening on the fields to ensure safety & wellbeing of their teams members. This falls directly in line with QMIC’s strategies to support the sustainability in the State of Qatar and work with different entities to provide safety for different groups of individuals”

Finally, to make this process easier and more convenient for work managers, QMIC introduced a new mobile application for Humidex that makes the monitoring of information and data much easier. The mobile application is available to authorized users through iOS and Android mobile devices. This mobile app helps in monitoring the occupational heat stress from anywhere and at any time of the day to ensure safety of the workers while not necessarily being on site. It also shows previous analytics and reports of measured heat stress which helps them in tailoring precautionary measures that are specific to each different condition.