Doha: The Ministry of Interior Qatar has issued workplace safety guidelines for employees, outlining key procedures to follow during precautionary security alerts. The initiative aims to strengthen public safety awareness and ensure proper response during emergency situations.

Key instructions for employees:

• Take official alerts seriously
Employees must immediately follow national alerts or warnings issued through official channels and rely only on verified information sources. Spreading rumours or sharing unconfirmed information is strictly discouraged.

• Follow workplace security teams
Staff must strictly follow the instructions of security and safety teams in their workplaces and avoid making personal interpretations of safety directives.

• Stay inside buildings during alerts
Employees are advised to remain indoors when a precautionary alert is issued, stay calm and avoid causing panic. They should not move to open areas and must stay away from windows, glass facades and exposed surfaces.

• Avoid dangerous areas and materials
Workers should keep away from energy sources and flammable materials and minimize unnecessary movement between floors or buildings.

• Know evacuation routes
Employees should familiarize themselves with emergency exits, evacuation routes and designated assembly points in their workplace.

• Use stairs, not elevators
During evacuation instructions, elevators should not be used. Instead, employees must use stairs and emergency exits.

• Avoid crowding
While moving to safe areas, employees should avoid pushing or crowding and ensure corridors and emergency exits remain clear.

• If an explosion occurs
Anyone outside a building during an explosion should immediately move to the nearest safe indoor area and remain there until authorities confirm the danger has passed.

• Report suspicious objects
Any suspicious or unusual object must be reported immediately through workplace channels or to authorities. Employees must not touch or approach metallic fragments, shrapnel or unidentified objects.

• Avoid sharing incident photos
Employees should not photograph incidents, locations or security procedures or post such content on social media.

• Know emergency contacts
Staff should be aware of emergency numbers and maintain full cooperation with workplace security and safety officials at all times.

The ministry also stated that security and safety departments in government, semi-government and private institutions are responsible for sharing these guidelines with employees and ensuring preparedness of emergency exits, evacuation routes and response systems.

The ministry warned that legal action will be taken against anyone violating these guidelines and encouraged the public to contact them for inquiries at 2355585 and 2355633.