STANDARD + VR Construction and EPC · Qatar Updated October 14, 2026

Heat Stress VR Training for Qatar Sites: The WBGT 32.1 Stop Rule and Summer Hours (Decision No. 17 of 2021)

VR heat stress scenario for Qatar contractors on Decision No. 17 of 2021: no outdoor work 10:00 to 15:30 from 1 June to 15 September, and the WBGT 32.1 stop.

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Qatar Ministerial Decision No. 17 of 2021 bans outdoor work from 10:00 to 15:30 between 1 June and 15 September, and requires all work to stop if the WBGT at the workplace goes above 32.1 degrees Celsius, at any time of day. A VR scenario lets supervisors practise reading the WBGT and stopping the work, even outside the ban hours.

What the Rule Requires

Qatar Ministerial Decision No. 17 of 2021 on heat stress: the decision was announced on 26 May 2021 and took effect at once. It bans outdoor work from 10:00 to 15:30 between 1 June and 15 September, requires work to stop when the WBGT goes above 32.1 degrees Celsius at the workplace regardless of the time, and requires annual health checks and risk assessments prepared by companies. It replaced the 2007 rule that banned work from 11:30 to 15:00 between 15 June and 31 August.

The scenario is a landscaping and paving crew on a Doha project at 08:40 in late May, before the ban period starts. It is humid with no wind, the WBGT meter at the work area reads 32.4 and the supervisor thinks it is fine because it is still morning.

Hazards in This Scenario

High WBGT in the morning from humidity
Supervisor relying on the clock only
No WBGT reading at the actual work area
Workers not acclimatised after leave

The Procedure the Scenario Rehearses

Take the WBGT reading at the work area
Compare it to 32.1 degrees Celsius
Stop work when it is above the limit, whatever the time
Move the crew to shade and water
Record the reading and the decision
Restart only when the reading is back below the limit

Mistakes the Scenario Is Built to Catch

Using the clock instead of the meter
Reading the WBGT at the site office
Carrying on because the ban period has not started
Not recording the stop

Competence Assessment Matrix

Decision point	What the assessor sees	Pass standard
Reading	Where it is taken	At the work area, not the office
Limit	Reading against 32.1	Work stopped above the limit
Time	Before ban period	Stop applied at any time of day
Record	Stop logged	Reading, time and decision recorded

What VR Covers

WBGT made visible and readable
Morning stop decision practised
Humidity effect explained
Delivered in workers languages

What VR Does Not Replace

A calibrated WBGT meter on site
Annual health checks
The company heat risk assessment

Scope of a One-Scenario Pilot

A pilot builds this scenario as a single module, in Unity or Unreal Engine depending on the visual fidelity the task needs and the headsets on site. It runs on standalone headsets, logs every learner decision, and exports a per-person record for your training file. It is measured against your current method with a test cohort before anything is scaled.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Qatar summer outdoor work ban?

Under Decision No. 17 of 2021, outdoor work is banned from 10:00 to 15:30 between 1 June and 15 September.

What is the WBGT 32.1 rule?

All work must stop if the WBGT at the workplace goes above 32.1 degrees Celsius, at any time of day.

What does WBGT measure?

It combines temperature, humidity, solar radiation and wind into one heat stress index.

Running this scenario across several sites or contractors?

We review your current procedure and tell you which parts can be rehearsed in VR and which still need hands-on practice.

Plan a Multi-Site Pilot