The UAE's workplace safety rules, explained

About this summary

The official texts are in Arabic. The English versions we used are translations, and MoHRE says it is not responsible for differences from the original. Rely on the Arabic text for anything legal.

Which rules apply to you

Start with the federal rules, then add the rules of your emirate.

Who the federal law covers

The Decree-Law applies to all establishments, employers and workers in the private sector (Art. 3). It does not cover federal and local government employees, the armed forces, police and security, or domestic workers. Some free zones have their own employment rules, so check with your zone authority.

Employer duties

Article 13(6) of the Decree-Law sets the main duty. Employers must provide the means to protect workers from injury and disease, put up guidance, train workers and check compliance regularly. Employers must also make sure workers know their rights and obligations (Art. 13(7)), and keep each worker's file for at least two years after their service ends (Art. 13(1)).

Administrative Decision 19 of 2023 turns this into detail. Every employer needs a health and safety program suited to its size and work (Art. 2). It must cover:

• the safety policy, responsibilities and who the safety officials are;
• risks from your work and how you control them;
• emergency and firefighting procedures;
• training suited to the work;
• safety checks when buying or renting equipment, and rules for contractors and long-term vendors;
• regular inspection of equipment and regular medical checks;
• what workers do when danger is imminent;
• incident investigation and corrective action;
• ways for workers to comment and take part in safety decisions;
• penalties for safety breaches, displayed for workers.

Records

Keep a safety record ready for inspection (Art. 3). It covers risks and controls, workplace inspections and measurements, certificates and permits, firefighting drills, training, medical checks, injuries and incidents, improvement plans and meeting minutes.

Protective equipment and health

• Protective equipment is free to workers and must suit the task (Art. 5).
• Workers need a medical check before they start. Those exposed to occupational diseases need one at least every six months (Art. 6).
• Medical care and medication for registered workers are free, under state-approved protocols.
• Every workplace and labour accommodation needs first aid boxes, and selected workers need first aid training, listed in a register.

Transport

Work vehicles must be licensed and air-conditioned, with enough seats. No one may stand while the vehicle moves. Employers must also take National Center of Meteorology weather warnings into account for workers' journeys (Art. 7).

Hazard rules in the Decision

Article 4 sets specific limits. These are some of the numbers:

• Rest: continuous work indoors must not exceed five hours.
• Ladders: no ladder where the landing or work point is more than 10 metres up, unless landing stations are built.
• Excavations: over 1.5 metres deep, support the sides. Don't pile spoil next to the trench.
• Scaffolds: erected by licensed, qualified people, and inspected at least weekly with a report. Guardrails and harnesses at 8 metres above the ground.
• Lifting: hoists and elevators examined at least once a year. Chains, ropes and wires maintained every six months with a report.
• Boilers: tested and serviced at least once a year, and kept at least 3 metres from any building.
• Hazardous materials: approval before storage or handling, with warning labels in Arabic and other languages workers understand.

Worker duties

Workers must follow the safety instructions set at the workplace (Decree-Law Art. 16(6)). Under Decision 19, Article 9, they must also:

• spot and report risks, and keep a safe distance from imminent danger;
• use and look after their protective equipment;
• attend training;
• tell the employer if they are exhausted;
• not come to work under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Safety officers

Every industrial establishment, and every construction establishment with at least 100 workers, must appoint a qualified Occupational Health and Safety Officer (Resolution 44, Art. 2). The officer must be a licensed engineer or a graduate of an occupational health and safety institute (Decision 19, Art. 10).

The officer analyses hazards, prepares action and emergency plans, schedules medical checks, inspects the site and equipment, reports accidents immediately to MoHRE and other authorities, keeps accident records, and revises the plan after an incident.

The midday work ban

From 15 June to 15 September every year, work in direct sun and open places is banned between 12:30 pm and 3 pm (Resolution 44, Art. 3). Employers must provide shade for rest, and exempt work has its own list of required supplies (Decision 19, Art. 11). See our midday break guide.

Labour accommodation

Establishments with 50 or more workers each earning AED 1,500 or less a month must provide accommodation and register it in MoHRE's system (Resolution 44, Art. 4). Since a 2024 amendment (Ministerial Resolution 516 of 2024), local authorities may raise that wage figure for their emirate after consulting MoHRE. The government guidance sets the standards, including at least 3 square metres per person, 8 to 10 people at most per bedroom, no three-tier bunks and one toilet for every 8 people.

Work injuries and pay

After a work injury or occupational disease, the employer pays for treatment. If the worker can't work, the employer pays full wages for the treatment period or six months, whichever is less. After that, half wages for up to six more months, or until recovery, disability or death is established (Art. 37).

If the worker dies, the family receives 24 months of basic wage, at least AED 18,000 and at most AED 200,000 (Art. 37). Compensation may be refused if an investigation proves the worker injured themselves on purpose, was under the influence, deliberately broke posted safety instructions, or refused treatment without good reason (Art. 38). See our accident reporting guide.

Abu Dhabi: ADOSH-SF

ADPHC supervises the framework, and Sector Regulatory Authorities oversee entities in their sectors. Many documents still use the old name, OSHAD-SF. Mechanism 11 (version 4.0, July 2024) sets incident rules: fatalities within 24 hours, other serious incidents within 3 working days.

Dubai: the construction safety code

Decree No. 19 of 2025 makes the Code of Construction Safety Practice binding on all contractors and engineering consultancy firms. It applies across Dubai, including special development zones and free zones such as DIFC (Art. 3 and 4). Dubai Municipality and the zone's licensing authority can inspect sites and issue violation reports (Art. 8).

The Municipality text requires a safety plan, safety staff by headcount, third-party inspections and a written accident report within 72 hours. See our Dubai code guide. A separate Executive Council resolution sets the penalties (Art. 7). We could not find its published text.

Sharjah

SPSA is the safety authority for the emirate. Its OSH system comes from Executive Council Resolution 15 of 2021, which applies to government and private entities in the emirate. SPSA also publishes guides. Check for amendments.

Penalties

Any breach of the Decree-Law or its rules without a specific penalty carries a fine of AED 5,000 to AED 1,000,000 (Art. 63). MoHRE has separate fines for the midday ban.

Sources and further reading

1. Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 and its amendments, English translation, UAE Government.
2. Ministerial Resolution No. 44 of 2022 and its amendments, English translation, MoHRE.
3. Administrative Decision No. 19 of 2023, English translation, MoHRE.
4. Cabinet Resolution No. 33 of 2022 on work injuries and occupational diseases, English translation, MoHRE.
5. Health and safety at the workplace, UAE Government portal.
6. Labour accommodation, UAE Government portal.
7. ADOSH-SF Mechanism 11.0: Incident Notification, Investigation and Reporting (v4.0), ADPHC.
8. Decree No. 19 of 2025 Concerning Safety in Construction Works, Dubai Supreme Legislation Committee.
9. The Safety Guide for Construction Works in the Emirate of Dubai (Code of Construction Safety Practice), July 2026, Dubai Municipality.
10. Executive Council Resolution 15 of 2021, English, SPSA.
11. Ministerial Resolution No. 44 of 2022, archived copy, Internet Archive.
12. Administrative Decision No. 19 of 2023, archived copy, Internet Archive.
13. Cabinet Resolution No. 33 of 2022, archived copy, Internet Archive.

This is practical guidance, not legal advice. Check the current official text and your site's own procedures.