About this summary
Dubai Municipality published The Safety Guide for Construction Works on its site in July 2026, and the text calls itself the Code of Construction Safety Practice. We used that version, and a 2023 version also sits on the site. Check with the Municipality that you hold the current edition. This page summarises parts of a 210-page document. It does not replace it.
Who it binds
Decree No. 19 of 2025 took effect three months after it was published, and it gives the Code the same force as gazetted law. It covers all zones of Dubai. Dubai Municipality and each zone's licensing authority enforce it, and their officers can inspect sites and issue violation reports (Art. 3, 4, 5 and 8).
The Code covers building and engineering construction for the private and public sectors, including alteration, repair, demolition, painting, earthmoving and excavation. The engineering office and contractor share responsibility for safety, and subcontractors must comply too (clauses 2-1 and 2-3).
The safety plan
The contractor must prepare a safety plan and submit it to the engineer for approval. Keep a copy at the workplace and update it as the work changes. The plan must cover (2-3-2):
- its targets and who is responsible;
- medical care, and health procedures in the work environment;
- safety awareness and training;
- protective equipment for the hazards on site;
- a risk assessment of the major hazards at each stage;
- what to do when accidents happen.
Contractors must also run a safe work permit system for work such as welding, excavation, lockout, radiography and confined space entry (2-4-4). Risk assessments need to lead to an emergency plan, tested by drills (2-6-4).
Safety staff
Contractors must appoint qualified staff, approved by the competent authority. They must have the authority to stop any work that puts people or property at risk (2-7). These are the contractor's minimums on site (Table 4):
| Workers per shift | Safety Inspector | Safety Officer | Senior Safety Officer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 50 | 1 (partial attendance) | 0 | 0 |
| 50 to 150 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 151 to 500 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 501 to 1,000 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1,001 to 1,250 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 1,251 to 1,500 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 1,501 to 2,000 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Above 2,000 workers, add one Safety Inspector for every extra 1,000. Engineering offices have their own table, and separate minimums apply when getting a construction licence. Senior Safety Officers need an engineering degree and at least 3 years' site experience. Safety Officers need an engineering diploma and 3 years. Safety Inspectors need a secondary or technical certificate and 2 years. All need a qualification certificate from a body the authority approves.
Reporting accidents
- Serious accident or lost-time injury needing hospital care: call the Police on 999.
- Fire, explosion, collapse, or crane or machine breakdown that could endanger workers: call Civil Defense on 997 and the Police on 999.
- Any of these: call Dubai Municipality on 800900, or the emergency number of your zone's authority.
- Within 72 hours: contractor and subcontractors send a written report on the approved form.
- Afterwards: investigate fully, leave the scene unchanged unless that adds danger, and keep the record for five years.
The federal reports to the police and MoHRE still apply. See our UAE accident reporting guide.
Inspections and certificates
| What | How often | Who |
|---|---|---|
| Cranes, forklifts and lifting equipment | Every 12 months | Accredited inspection body, with a safety certificate |
| Rigging tools | Every 6 months | Contractor |
| Earth-moving plant, such as excavators and trucks | Every 12 months | Accredited inspection company |
| Personnel and material hoists | Every 6 months, with regular checks every 3 months | Accredited inspection body |
| All scaffolds and cradles | Every 6 months, and after any change, added height or move | Inspection company |
| Plant operators | Every 12 months | Accredited third party |
| Air receivers, compressors and pressure vessels | Every 12 months | Accredited third party |
If lifting equipment is altered, or conditions may affect its safety, the old certificate no longer counts (2-15).
Limits to remember
- Fall protection: anyone working 2 metres or more above a lower level needs a safety harness and shock-absorbing lanyard (4-2-8). Safety belts are not fall protection.
- Excavation: no excavation deeper than 1.2 metres without an approved shoring system or an approved open excavation. Above 1.2 metres, provide stairs, ladders or ramps (chapter 9).
- Heat: make cold water available, which may be 5 to 10 litres per worker per day in summer. Instruct workers on heat illness, provide shade where possible, and do heavy jobs in the coolest part of the day (3.15).
- Site security: provide 24-hour guards to keep out unauthorised people (2-3-6).
Federal rules still apply
The Code sits on top of federal law. Where limits differ, follow the stricter one. MoHRE Decision 19 of 2023 sets side support at 1.5 metres and guardrails and harnesses at 8 metres, so Dubai's construction limits are tighter. The midday ban runs 15 June to 15 September under federal law, so don't rely on the Code's reference to July and August.
Penalties
Under Article 7 of the Decree, a resolution of the Chairman of the Executive Council sets the violations and administrative penalties. We could not find its published text, so we give no fine amounts here. Ask Dubai Municipality.
Can you show your approved safety plan, your staff numbers for today's shift and your current certificates? Our UAE checklist has a Dubai section.
Sources and further reading
- The Safety Guide for Construction Works in the Emirate of Dubai (Code of Construction Safety Practice), July 2026, Dubai Municipality.
- Construction Safety Practice Manual, 2023, Dubai Municipality.
- Decree No. 19 of 2025 Concerning Safety in Construction Works, Dubai Supreme Legislation Committee.
- Administrative Decision No. 19 of 2023, English translation, MoHRE.
This is practical guidance, not legal advice. Laws and codes of practice change; always check the current official text and your site's own procedures.
