A new set of construction specifications for Qatar has been issued and will take effect three months after its publication in the official gazette, a report said.

The Minister of Environment Ahmed Amer Mohamed Al Humaidi issued Qatar Construction Specifications (QCS) 2014, part of which concerns the safety of workers engaged on construction sites, according to The Peninsula.

It is the fifth version of construction specifications launched last October.

Some 120 experts on nine committees and in seven teams have worked for years to prepare QCS 2014. They consist of 311 articles in 29 chapters and cover building designs and other matters, stated the report.

The new stipulations require that all buildings being constructed must be seismic and wind-proof; have entry and exit points for people with special needs; and must provide adequate insulation against sound and heat for walls and ceilings.

The specifications also take into account the age of buildings and the quality of construction materials being used, including steel, ready-mix and other, it added.

Additionally, the decree states that construction debris must be recycled, dysfunctional street lights must be replaced; and energy-efficient bulbs must be used, said the report.

Railways are included in QCS with one chapter dedicated to railways and another on the quality of materials and construction. Also, mandatory standards are to be developed for green buildings, it added.