Qatar develop ‘cooled helmets’ to keep workers comfortable in summers

One of the most common criticisms Qatar have had to face is about the hot conditions under which workers work while building stadiums for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The country has now developed a ‘cooled helmet’ that promises to reduce workers’ skin temperature by up to 10 degrees centigrade.

The helmets, being developed by researchers at Qatar University, will give workers safer and more comfortable working conditions during summer months, reported FIFA.com.

A group of Doha-based scientists, in cooperation with Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) and Aspire Zone Foundation, have put the solar-powered helmet through rigorous tests and patented it worldwide. It will be widely used around the SC’s future projects.

“We were approached by the SC and Aspire with a challenge, and our objective was to reduce heat stress and heat strokes for workers during summer months,” said Dr Saud Abdul-Aziz Abdul-Ghani, Professor at the College of Engineering at Qatar University.

“Such body-based cooling technology has been used in US sports for training in hot states, but we’ve now developed this innovative solution for the construction sector. We believe it has the potential to revolutionise the construction industry in hotter areas of the world,” he added.

He has been working on the design with students from Qatar, Jordan, Greece and Egypt.

He explained the helmet’s functioning.

“Our concept is to use a solar-powered fan to blow air over a cooled material at the top of the helmet, which will then come down over the front of the person’s face and provide a cooler micro-climate for the worker.”

“The best thing is, there’s only just a minimal increase in weight to the helmet. By reducing the temperature of the head and face, the rest of the body will naturally follow and ensure that workers have a constant flow of cooler air to refresh them throughout their day.”