Qatar 2022 World Cup workers to get ‘cooling helmets’
Solar-powered head gear could reduce heat experienced by construction workers by up to 10 degrees
Construction workers involved in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar are set to get solar-powered ‘cooled helmets’ to help them cope with the summer heat, organisers say.
The cooled helmet was designed and developed by leading researchers in Qatar and has the potential to reduce the skin temperature of construction workers by up to 10 degrees centigrade, according to a statement by the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC).
“This will allow for safer and more comfortable working conditions in the summer months, according to researchers working on the new system at Qatar University,” the statement said.
“More units have now been ordered with the objective to incorporate them for the coming summer period across SC projects.”
The helmet was been rigorously tested, patented worldwide and put through the production stage by a group of Doha-based scientists in cooperation with the SC and Aspire Zone Foundation (Aspire).
“We were approached by the SC and Aspire with a challenge, and our objective was to reduce heat stress and heat strokes for workers in Qatar and the region during the summer months,” said Dr. Saud Abdul-Aziz Abdul-Ghani, Professor at the College of Engineering at Qatar University.
“This type of body-based cooling technology has been used before in US sports for training purposes in hot states, but we have now developed this innovative solution for the construction sector and we believe it has the potential to revolutionise the construction industry in hotter areas of the world.”
