As many of you may had seen in the press, the 28th September 2022 was a monumental day for Occupational Safety and Health in the Emirate of Sharjah.
It saw the launch of the OSHJ system. The first Occupational Safety and Health statutory framework in Sharjah’s history. It is supported by Executive Council Resolution No 15 of 2021. The system is not only applicable to any company registered in Sharjah. In addition international companies and ones registered in other Emirates but who conduct activity in Sharjah must also comply.
Corporate OHS were proud to be the Health and Safety Consultants chosen by Sharjah Government to partner with them to develop the system from scratch. Quite some feat considering it will be applicable to over 60,000 entities !
Remind me Again, what is OSHJ ?
The OSHJ system will be mandatory for all companies based and/or operating in Sharjah. This includes: Government departments, semi government departments, mainland companies and freezone companies.
The SPSA (Sharjah Prevention and Safety Authority) have developed a fantastic awareness programme giving an overview how to operate in compliance with the OSHJ Occupational Safety and Health Regulatory framework. Their website can be accessed on: OSH Introduction (shj.ae) Or, you can find out more elsewhere on the Corporate OHS website: Occupational Safety and Health Sharjah – CORPORATE OHS LIMITED
The system works in harmony with existing UAE Federal health and safety laws to establish a minimum compliance level. Based on a company’s occupational safety and health risk rating.
Further provided are Codes of Practice and Guidelines aimed at improving general awareness of occupational health and safety.
Where do I Begin ?
The OSHJ system is the first of it’s kind in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to be accompanied by a fully computerized registration process. The system interfaces with other Governmental systems.
A company will create an account and input details of standard business information and documentation. This includes; Trade Licence, owners details, contact details etc.
The system will then request details which will be used to identify and classify the level of occupational health and safety risk within the company. These include:
- Number of employees
- Activities that the company undertakes
- Use of subcontractors
- If employee accommodation is provided
- If employee transportation is provided
- Other risk factors present
Should I be Worried about my Entity Classification ?
No ! Your entity classification is one of the key processes used to help you and it will:
- Establish the complexity of the regulatory requirement that must be adhered to
- Create a structured and consistent approach for you to use as regards health and safety
- Create a framework for SPSA (Sharjah Prevention and Safety Authority) to evaluate, monitor, inspect and enforce the OSHJ system
After classification the company will be assigned a risk level; from 1 to 5.
The risk level is NOT an assessment of the companies value, or, an assessment of the companies existing health and safety arrangements. It instead determines what actions the company will be required to implement in order to comply with OSHJ.
What Happens if I Don’t Comply with UAE Health and Safety Laws ?
For Sharjah Emirates OSHJ Occupational Safety and Health Regulatory Framework, fines and other punishments are yet to be declared.
For breaches of Health and Safety UAE Federal Law, such as Labour Law 33 of 2021, fines range from 5,000 to 1,000,000 AED. These can be multiplied by the number of employees subject to a breach up to a cap of 10,000,000 AED
Ministry of Labour Inspectors can enter and inspect workplaces at any time without prior notice and impose any measures aimed at averting any danger or risk to employees. This may occur regardless of whether a workplace accident has occurred or not.
UAE Police Involvement with HSE breaches
Yes, if an accident or incident occurs and an employee is hurt. The police will conduct a formal investigation during which they will ascertain if all applicable health and safety laws were followed in the lead up to the accident or incident.
Passports of any employees they consider responsible for the incident will be held, which could include Management if they are deemed responsible for not ensuring the adherence to and implementation of health and safety law. If a company is referred to the public prosecutor and then criminal court. A minimum penalty of at least one year’s imprisonment may be imposed
If you are looking for an HSE Consultant in the UAE, Corporate OHS is a Health and Safety Consultancy whose HSE Consultants offer expert resources and superior performance to give you greater results.
We specialize in creating workable, user friendly solutions aligned to your business activities, operations and budget.
Our range of health and safety consultancy services includes;
- Long term or project based HSE outsourcing
- Flexible monthly support retainers giving access to HSE services without the burden of a permanent cost
- OHS Risk assessments
- Hazard identification and control measure implementation
- Gap Analysis and audits
- HSE legal compliance reviews and assistance
- HSE management system development, implementation and improvement
- Locally compliant systems such as Abu Dhabi OSHAD, Sharjah OSHJ
- Accredited standards such as ISO 45001, ISO 14001, ISO 9001 and ISO 50001
- Accident investigations
- Business continuity and crisis management
To find out more about our services, please visit our website www.corporateohs.com send an email to enquiries@corporateohs.com or call Caroline Savage on 052 566 0949
