MEETING OSHAD REQUIREMENTS

Health and Safety is often viewed as an overbearing legal requirement for companies to implement. Too often this is due to the poor implementation of existing OHS systems that are not designed to complement the company’s activities and increase productivity.

Health and Safety placed at the top of corporate priorities, rewards firms with the following:

• Workers stay with safety orientated companies for longer: they feel valued, safer in the workplace and drive increased productivity by planning and executing work activities efficiently.
• HR benefits from a reduced turnover of staff reduced insurance claims and reductions in absenteeism from accidents, injuries and ill-health.
• Companies benefit from the retention of a competent workforce, reduced training costs and the reduced potential for civil and criminal cases when it all goes wrong with a fatality or serious injury on site.

The costs associated with implementing good health and safety practices can easily be offset by the benefits highlighted above.

Health and Safety is here to stay, it will not go away! The first thing any company needs to do is conduct a gap analysis and assess what they actually need. If your company is registered in Abu Dhabi it is mandatory to apply for OSHAD registration. OSHAD require that companies fall into three categories;

Category one – a High-risk entity

Companies classified as high risk are required to develop, implement and maintain an operational Occupational Safety and Health Management System to manage the OHS hazards and risks of their operations in full compliance with the OSHAD SF.

Category two – Medium risk entity

If classified as a medium risk then the company needs to comply with OSHAD SF – Mechanism 5 – OSH Requirements for Medium Risk Entities

Category three – the Low-risk entity

If classified as low risk a basic OSH Management System is still required to be implemented with limited annual reporting requirements.

THE FINDINGS FROM THE GAP ANALYSIS WILL THEN ALLOW MANAGEMENT TO DECIDE ON THE FOLLOWING THREE OPTIONS.

Option 1 – Do nothing

This is the cheapest short-term option, however, if your company is registered in Abu Dhabi you will not be able to renew your trade license if you are not registered with OSHAD

Option 2 – Hire a low-grade Safety Officer and think all your problems will go away

This is the second cheapest option, however, if you rely on a low-cost option to get your company through OSHAD approval you will probably have wasted your time and money and need to start again.

Option 3 – Outsource all your OHS requirements to a specialist consultant

Get it right first time, submit your OSHAD registration with the knowledge that you will get approval.

Failure to gain OSHAD approval will restrict your companies tendering success if you cannot renew the company trade license or demonstrate registration with OSHAD.

Training existing staff to fulfil the requirement of HSE Officer or similar will not work. It is time-consuming and expensive with no guarantee that staff will be proficient once qualified. High-risk entities require at least one A Grade OHS professional to manage OSHAD requirements, typically they are required to have 11 years OHS experience in addition to an OHS Diploma or Degree qualification. The minimum requirement for all registered OSHAD practitioners is NEBOSH IGC or equivalent.

In conclusion, if you want to make your business a success embrace best OHS practice. Use specialist consultancies such as Corporate OHS Limited to improve the operations of your company and make the workplace safer.