Within the UAE as a whole, and also on an Emirate specific level. Health and safety is an ever tightening requirement. Laws are changing and evolving. For the good of everyone. There to protect both employees and also a company’s assets and reputation.
As many of you may have 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 Sharjahs history. Supported by Executive Council Resolution No 15 of 2021. The system is not only applicable to any company registered in Sharjah. International companies and ones registered in other Emirates but who conduct work activities in Sharjah must also comply.
Corporate OHS were proud to have been 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 !
How to Keep on Top of Health and Safety Change
For the Health and Safety Manager, professional or a person tasked with HSE responsibilities. Staying on top of legislation… Protecting employees, visitors, contractors, clients and students from everyday hazards….. Keeping track of contractors and suppliers… More than ever there is an increasing burden to deliver best practice. And also have reliable systems in place to effectively manage health and safety obligations.
Often the major initial challenge with legislative change is understanding the change. How is it applicable to the company that I work for ? The work that I do ? Then, what should I do next ?
So, What Does This Mean For Me ?
Best practice dictates that any health and safety legislative change, such as the introduction of the OSHJ statutory framework, or the recent updates to Federal Labour Law 33 of 2021. Must drive a review of a company’s health and safety policies, procedures, risk assessments and legal register.
The above is also one of the essential components of continuous improvement. It may feel like a large task to complete but approaching it in a methodical manner will help enormously.
What’s My First Step ?
Initially, I would advise a company to assess the health and safety provision that they currently have in place. The company’s in house Health and Safety Manager, or an HSE Consultancy such as Corporate OHS, would perform a gap analysis of current health and safety documentation and operations against new or updated legislation. This would identify where change is needed.
There would also be an assessment of the current Legal Registers and how health and safety roles and responsibilities within the company are discharged. The gap analysis would also include a review of the companies HSE training programme and materials, risk assessments, HSE safe operating procedures etc.
The review should also drill down into the specifics of the changes identified in the gap analysis. The output of which would be a systematic evaluation and an Action Plan with prioritized recommendations.
The gap analysis project could be a great opportunity to bring insight, best practice and cost saving initiatives into play by identifying opportunities and streamlining processes during the review.
Help ! My company is complex and works across many Emirates and Countries
We are not gonna lie, this can be complex to manage. Especially if you want to create a streamlined system which achieves compliance to several regulatory systems. Often companies’ approach this in a manner which creates a bulky, weighty health and safety management system. With much form filling and paperwork. The very opposite of what health safety strives for. Which is straightforward, effective, user friendly and easy to manage processes.
Developing an HSE management system compliant with all applicable laws in different jurisdictions. Which is simplified enough to ensure effective implementation and usage for all staff members. Especially those who would struggle with an overly complex system. Is challenging. Perhaps external expert assistance may be beneficial for companies who may not have this level of expert in house resource.
What Happens if I Don’t Comply with Health and Safety Law ?
For Sharjah Emirates OSHJ Occupational Safety and Health Regulatory Framework, sanctions and fines are yet to be declared. Abu Dhabi Emirates OSHAD Occupational Safety and Health Regulatory Framework fines of up to 50,000 AED are levied for non-compliance.
Breaches of Health and Safety Federal Law, fines range from 5,000 to 1,000,000 AED. These can be multiplied by the number of employees subject to the 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 health and safety danger or risk to employees. This may occur regardless of whether a workplace accident has occurred or not.
Police Involvement
Furthermore, if an accident or incident occurs and an employee is hurt. The police will conduct a formal investigation during which they will review a companies health and safety management system and ascertain if laws were followed in the lead up to the accident or incident.
Police will hold the passports of any employees they consider responsible for the incident, which could include Management if they are deemed responsible for not ensuring the adherence to and implementation of health and safety law. If 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
- Health and Safety 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 including locally compliant systems such as Abu Dhabi OSHAD, Sharjah OSHJ and/or accredited systems 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