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Occupational safety and health country profile: the United Arab Emirates

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Occupational safety and health country profile: the United Arab Emirates

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Failure to comply with the statutory requirements can have serious consequences - both for companies and individuals. Liability can include criminal sanctions, fixed compensation, civil compensatory damages, contractual liability and administrative penalties.

Ministry of Labour Inspectors have the authority to conduct on-site inspections and levy fines or rectification notices on companies for breaches of the HSE provisions outlined above, regardless of whether or not a workplace accident has occurred as a result. Penalties can be compounded where there are repeat offences, and aggregated where a number of employees are affected, up to a maximum penalty of AED 5,000,000.

Where there is a fatality at work, employers can be liable to pay blood money (Diya) in addition to statutory compensation under the UAE law equivalent to 24 months' basic salary at the time of death subject to a cap and/or civil compensatory damages.

Company management may be personally exposed to criminal proceedings.

UAE Legal Framework

The HSE legal regime in the UAE is principally derived from the following overriding laws and decisions:

Federal Law No (24) of 1999 for the protection and development of the environment
Federal Law No. (8) of 1980 as amended - UAE Labour Law

Ministerial Decision No. (27/1) of 1981 concerning remote areas and locations

Ministerial Decision No. (32) of 1982 concerning preventive methods to protect employees

Ministerial Decision No. (37/2) of 1982 concerning standards of medical care provided for Employees

Ministerial Decision No. (4/1) of 1981 concerning hazardous works

Employers must also be aware of Local Legislation and Codes of Practice (Emirate or Free Zone) which may affect your HSE obligations, remembering that where you are licensed, and where you do business, can impact upon which rules you are governed by.

Examples of HSE Local Legislation from the Dubai Municipality through the Rulers Court of Dubai:

Local Order (61) of 1991 concerning Environmental Protection Regulation in the Emirate of Dubai

Local Order (11) of 2003 concerning public Health and Community Safety in the Emirate of Dubai

Codes of Practice include the UAE Civil Defence Fire and Life Safety Code of 2017

DMCC has its own Free Zone regulations, which are required to be followed by any company licenced within the DMCC Free Zone.

This article is written by Paul Sumner, DMCC Senior HSE Manager,HSE@dmcc.ae.

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HSE Corner: UAE Health and Safety Legislation

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Failure to comply with the statutory requirements can have serious consequences - both for companies and individuals. Liability can include criminal sanctions, fixed compensation, civil compensatory damages, contractual liability and administrative penalties.

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Find information related to News, Events, Multimedia, Services, eServices, Exams, Open Data, Careers,Health and Visiting Professionals,Hospitals,Health care center,Publications from Ministry of Health

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Mid-day break rule for workers under the sun

Construction and industrial workers are not permitted to work during the hottest hours of the day during the summer. Any firm found to have staff working during the designated break time would be fined AED 5,000 per worker up to a maximum of AED 50,000.

Also, employees are entitled to work 2 hours less every day during the holy month of Ramadan.

Medical check-up

At least once every six months, employers have to assign at least one physician to examine thoroughly the employees who are exposed to the possibility of contracting one of the occupational diseases. The results of such examination should be recorded on the employees' files.

Protection against injuries

Employers should provide their employees with suitable means of protection against injuries and dangers such as a fire which may result from the use of machinery and other work equipment and against occupational diseases which may be contacted during work.

Employers shall display in a permanent and visible place at the work site, detailed instructions regarding the means of preventing fire and the means through which employees can protect themselves from hazards to which they might be exposed during work. These instructions shall be in Arabic, and if necessary another language understood by the employee.

Employers must keep a first aid kit or kits containing medicines, bandages and other first aid material readily available.

In case of an injury or death at workplace

According to Article 149 of the Labour Law, the compensation for death at work is equal to the basic wage of the worker for 24 months, provided that the amount of compensation is not less than AED 18,000 or more than AED 35,000.

The amount of compensation is calculated on the basis of the last wage received by the worker prior to his death.

Read about what to do in case of an injury or death at workplace.

Working in remote areas

Every employer who employs staff in remote areas that are not served by public means of transportation must provide his employees with the following services:

suitable transportation

suitable accommodation

suitable drinking water

suitable food

first aid services

means of entertainment and sports activities.

All the above services apart from food material will be on the employer's account.

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Health and safety at workplace - The Official Portal of the UAE Government

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Construction and industrial workers are not permitted to work during the hottest hours of the day during the summer. Workers should be provided with safety gear and suitable clothing to protect them against injuries and dangers. They shall undergo medical examination to detect any occupational disease they may have contracted.