“People think we’re out there to look for mistakes and issue penalties. They might not like us, but we’re doing all this for everyone’s safety,” Mohamed al-Meer, assistant to the chief of labour inspection department at the MOL, told Gulf Times. “It’s important to hold forums like this so we know that our regulations are practical and applicable. People come in with issued violations every day.”

Around 30 project managers, HR specialists and business owners participated in the dialogue. A major goal of the conference was to better categorise companies on the basis of their violations of safety regulations.

“’A company that is doing everything right will be put into Class A. It’s not that hard to, you don’t lose by operating within our regulations,” al-Meer said. “Most of the companies in Qatar are ‘Class B’; a company that has up to 100 violations of minor offences. Firms which are  repeated offenders with over 100 serious violations are included in Class C.”

Company representatives discussed with officials the various offences they felt were out of their hands to prevent or solve. One being visa and residency renewals and another insufficient labour housing located in distant areas where no services are available.

The official said that active communication between the private sector and the Ministry was key to ensuring understanding and solutions to various situations without penalties.

“If you know you’re in violation of regulations and you have an explanation for it, tell us before we come to inspect the site or an employee files a complaint. By then there isn’t really much we can do for you until you fix the situation,” al-Meer said.