Occupational health and safety in the UAE has moved from a construction-sector niche to a universal employer obligation. The Federal Decree-Law No. 33 framework requires every private-sector employer to provide a safe workplace, and the Cabinet has since issued sector-specific regulations — from midday work bans in summer to ergonomic standards in offices.
The employer duty, in one sentence
Provide a workplace that does not, by its design, operation or culture, predictably injure the physical or mental health of the people who work there. Everything else is elaboration.
The five pillars HR should own
- Risk assessment — a documented, annual look at the physical and psychological hazards in your workplace.
- Heat-stress compliance — the midday-break rule (15 June to 15 September) applies to all outdoor workers. Indoor employers are not exempt from managing heat exposure.
- PPE & equipment — provided at employer cost, not deducted from salary.
- Mental health — Cabinet Resolution No. 21 of 2023 brings mental wellbeing into the OSH frame. Your policy needs to say something about stress, burnout and access to support.
- Incident reporting — a written log of all workplace injuries, near-misses, and occupational illness.
“The best OSH policy is the one your managers can describe in two sentences — without reading it.”
What MOHRE inspectors ask for
- Written OSH policy, signed by senior management.
- Risk assessment register with dates.
- Incident log for the past 24 months.
- Training records for supervisors.
- Midday-break compliance evidence (photos, attendance logs) during the summer ban.
Office employers — don't assume you're exempt
Office workplaces rarely trigger MOHRE OSH inspection. But injury claims, DEWS-style workplace savings schemes, and insurance audits all increasingly require the same documentation. An office employer who has nothing on paper will struggle to defend a claim.
- Every UAE employer needs a written OSH policy, whether or not they operate on site.
- Heat-stress compliance is absolute, inspected, and fined.
- Mental health is now part of the OSH framework.
- Document every incident. The one you don't log is the one that comes back.
OSH is one of those obligations where the paperwork is the policy. Without the written artefacts, even a well-run workplace has no defence when an inspector asks for evidence.