Author ORCID Identifier
Denielle Janine Emans: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3185-2997
Abstract
As Qatar races to complete development projects in advance of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the country’s construction sector continues to face criticisms regarding its treatment of migrant workers. This criticism is compounded by nominal safety legislation at the national level and the need for accessible occupational health and safety (OHS) media on worksites. Adding to these concerns, there is currently no comprehensive approach to ensure the effective communication of vital health and safety information to workers with limited English/Arabic proficiency or low literacy skills. In light of these concerns, this paper describes a pilot study that brings together the disciplines of safety management and communication design to resolve communication inequities embedded in the nation’s construction industry. Through a three-part workshop series, the study explores the synergistic potentials of design research and creative action to generate inclusive OHS media in Qatar.
Keywords
occupational health and safety, migrant rights, action research, social change
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2020.367
Citation
Emans, D. (2020) Under construction: Reimagining health and safety communication for multilingual workers in Qatar, in Boess, S., Cheung, M. and Cain, R. (eds.), Synergy - DRS International Conference 2020, 11-14 August, Held online. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2020.367
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Under construction: Reimagining health and safety communication for multilingual workers in Qatar
As Qatar races to complete development projects in advance of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the country’s construction sector continues to face criticisms regarding its treatment of migrant workers. This criticism is compounded by nominal safety legislation at the national level and the need for accessible occupational health and safety (OHS) media on worksites. Adding to these concerns, there is currently no comprehensive approach to ensure the effective communication of vital health and safety information to workers with limited English/Arabic proficiency or low literacy skills. In light of these concerns, this paper describes a pilot study that brings together the disciplines of safety management and communication design to resolve communication inequities embedded in the nation’s construction industry. Through a three-part workshop series, the study explores the synergistic potentials of design research and creative action to generate inclusive OHS media in Qatar.