The country took another bold step towards making their work even easier during summer months by introducing a special ‘smart jacket’ for workers yesterday.

Qatar’s Minister of Administrative Development, Labor and Social Affairs HE Dr Issa bin Saad Al Jafali Al Nuaimi launched the smart jacket on the sidelines of the 2nd Occupational Safety and Health Conference, reported Gulf Times.

The smart jacket — invented and designed by Qatar’s Ali Hassan Al Rashid, commander of security systems and technologies in Lekhwiya (Internal Security Force) — features a helmet with a cooling system and a chip that gives signals if the worker is at risk from excessive stress, rapid heartbeat or increased breathing, reported The Peninsula.

Speaking to media, Al Nuaimi said the jacket was part of Qatar’s strategy to ensure maximum protection and safety for expatriate workers engaged in different projects of the country.

Owned by the Internal Security Force, the jacket is manufactured in China and shipped to Qatar.

Al Rashid said it would be mandatory for all firms to provide their site workers with the jacket especially during the summer season.

“The vest has officially been launched now. Companies can now place their orders with us about the quantities they want. We are in a position to meet any number of orders within a month,” Al Rashid told Qatar Tribune.

“The jacket’s main feature is the cooling system which will keep a worker cool despite the scorching heat during peak summer,” he added.

The sensors in the smart jacket will give a warning to the control room that shows the worker’s condition, he said, adding that it would also contain a tracking system so that the worker’s location can be easily identified.

The smart jacket also includes voice dialing, operates via solar power and does not need to be recharged from any power source.

Rashid said the price of smart jacket would vary between QR350 and QR1,000 depending on the options companies choose for their workers.

“The base model, with just the cooling system, will not cost more than QR350. Jackets with options like biometrics reader, tracking chips and other facilities will be available at higher prices,” he said.

While it will be mandatory for all workers working in scorching heat to wear jacket with cooling system, the jacket with additional facilities would be optional.