Background Work-related injuries (WRIs) have been identified as a public health priority in Qatar. At present data on WRIs is collected by diverse governmental and non-governmental agencies. This study evaluates the utility of various data sources for occupational injury surveillance based on international reporting standards of the International Labour Organisation [ILO], Occupational Safety and Health Administration [OSHA] and International Classification of Diseases 10 [ICD-10].

Methods Stakeholder meetings with agencies working for the welfare and health of workers in Qatar were held to assess the existence and availability of data sources and develop consensus on the definition of essential elements related to WRIs surveillance. These. The status of the data sources with respect to these data elements was recorded and compared to reporting standards of the ILO, OSHA and ICD10.

Results 8 data sources were included. 4 from the Hamad Medical Corporation [HMC], the national health service provider: trauma registry, ambulance service, emergency department [3 hospitals] and mortuary. Other data sources were: Qatar Red Crescent Clinics, Public Works Authority, the Ministry of Labour and Ministry of Interior. The following data elements were collected by all sources: age, sex and nationality. External causes of injury, circumstances and nature of injury were collected by 6 or more sources, occupation by 4 sources, while the documentation of work-relatedness, and injury severity score calculation was only done by 1, the HMC Trauma registry.

Conclusions Data collection for the estimation of WRIs in Qatar is not systematic and thus important aspects of injury prevention and safety promotion are overlooked. A mechanism to generate data in compliance with international standards is needed. In the interim, linking these data sources, through ongoing multi-sectoral collaboration will improve the quality of WRI data and inform occupational injury prevention efforts.