Workplace Health and Safety Topic – How could a UAE Health and Safety Consultant help my international business ?

A Guide to Health and Safety Policies and Procedures #1

 

Introduction

Is there a person who enjoys rules and regulations? You may feel as though creating and managing them is the misery of your existence. However, they have a vital function, and it is crucial to maintain them up to date.

In this article, we’ll examine some common issues that you might run into, how to keep your health and safety policies and procedures up to date, how important it is to create them in order to ensure that organizations in the United Arab Emirates comply with the law, and how they contribute to an environment where employees feel safe at work.

 

• How creating health and safety policies and procedures are foundational in ensuring that organisations in the UAE comply with the law
• How they form part of a safe work environment for your employees
• Some common challenges that you may face
• Ways to keep your health and safety policies and procedures current

In a future article, we’ll look at best practices, keeping them updated and overcoming non usage.

The legal side of health and safety in the United Arab Emirates is derived from many different law, legislations, resolutions and ministerial decrees. One of the main federal level laws containing health and safety articles in the 2021 revision of UAE Labour Law . Mandate that employers provide a safe workplace, free from known hazards, training employees on the inherent risks and establish a legal framework within which policies and procedures are developed and implemented.

 

What other advantages might creating health and safety policies and procedures have, beyond than adhering to UAE health and safety laws? 


Beyond just ensuring compliance, good health and safety practices also save money by lowering the number of workplace incidents and preventing fines and higher insurance premiums.

Policies and procedures pertaining to health and safety should not be viewed as a burden, even if they are crucial for any organization. However, on occasion they are not, in which case they are placed in a "dusty drawer" and never seen again. But, we advise you to brush them off because maintaining them current and relevant shows a dedication to worker welfare and health and safety and may prevent you from being fined for noncompliance.

 

Broad assertions of values and goals pertaining to workers’ health and safety at work are known as health and safety policies.

Conversely, procedures are set of sequential instructions that specify how to perform particular activities or processes in a safe manner. These are the practical components that carry out the more general ideas mentioned in the policies.

 

Overview of the Types of Policies and Procedures Most Organisations Need

 

While some organisations may have specific policies and procedures, however, in general, you will need:

• General Health and Safety Policy
• Risk Assessment Procedures
• Emergency Preparedness Procedures
• First Aid Procedures
• Fire Safety Procedures
• Health and Safety Training Procedures
• Reporting and Investigating Incident Procedures
• Consultation and Communication Procedures

Together, these provide a thorough framework for overseeing health and safety at work. All of these will assist you in meeting legal obligations and fostering a culture of safety.

It’s critical that you stay informed, understand which of them apply to you, and know what your obligations are.

Safe Operating Procedures

 

In addition to the above general health and safety procedures. You will also want to see the results of your health and safety risk assessments to create specific procedures. These may include elements such as; working at height, ergonomics, manual handling etc.

 

Protecting Employees and Employers

This may seem stating the obvious, but it’s worth saying again.

 

For Employees

 

Policies and procedures pertaining to health and safety are intended to protect workers from potential hazards at work. They teach staff members about their rights, offer clear rules for safe practices, and instruct them on what to do in case of an emergency. Employees can carry out their tasks in a safe atmosphere and lower their chance of contracting diseases or injuries related to their jobs by following these instructions.

 

Our question is, do your employees know about them, and have they read them?

 

You would want to know if your staff members are aware of the health and safety policies and procedures and have read them.

It’s likely that they were evaluated during induction and haven’t been since. It’s important to periodically ask staff members to go over them and sign to confirm their understanding.

 

For Employers

 

From the standpoint of the employer, they show your dedication to a safe workplace, which is both morally and legally required. By putting in place thorough health and safety protocols, accidents are far less likely to occur, which lowers the possibility of lawsuits, compensation claims, and expensive downtime.

When was the last time you looked at them, and are the individuals who made them still employed by your company?

We are aware that maintaining them is a difficult task, and frequently, when someone leaves, it’s the last thing on their mind as they head out the door.

 

The Necessity of Health and Safety Documents

 

So we have established that you need them, now let’s explore who is responsible for what.

 

Responsibility and Management of Health and Safety Documentation

Employers bear the primary responsibility for guaranteeing the health and safety of their workforce and any others impacted by their operations. This include creating, putting into practice, and maintaining policies and procedures related to health and safety.

• Providing sufficient tools and training to encourage compliance. 
• Consistently evaluating the efficacy of health and safety precautions. 
On the other hand, employees are accountable for: • Adhering to the health and safety guidelines set forth by their employer. 
• Notifying their managers or designated health and safety representatives of any occurrences or issues pertaining to health and safety. 
Of course, there are also difficulties every time.

 

Common Challenges in Maintaining Current Policies and Procedures

 

Maintaining current health and safety policies and procedures can be challenging due to:

 

Compliance Complexity

 

The legal and regulatory landscape is often complex and can be daunting for businesses to navigate, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with limited resources.

 

Resource Constraints

 

Financial, human, and time resources are significant constraints. Prioritising health and safety updates may compete with other business needs, making it difficult to allocate adequate resources.

 

Employee Engagement

 

Ensuring that all employees are engaged and understand the importance of health and safety policies is a common hurdle. Without buy-in from the workforce, even well-written policies may not be effectively implemented or followed.

 

Rapidly Changing Work Environments

 

The nature of work and workplace environments is evolving rapidly, with trends such as remote work, flexible hours, and new technologies. These changes can outpace the ability of health and safety policies to remain relevant and effective, requiring frequent revisions to address new risks and scenarios.

 

Knowledge and Expertise Gaps

 

Organisations, particularly smaller ones, may lack the in-house expertise necessary to understand and implement the latest health and safety standards and practices. This knowledge gap can lead to policies that are either overly generic or not fully compliant with the latest regulations.

 

Information Overload

 

With an abundance of regulations, guidelines, and best practices to consider, organisations can suffer from information overload. This can lead to difficulty in discerning which policies need updating and appropriately prioritising those changes.

 

Monitoring and Enforcement

 

Finally, the challenge of monitoring compliance with health and safety policies and enforcing them consistently across all levels of an organisation can be daunting. This requires a sound system for tracking adherence and addressing noncompliance, which can be resource-intensive to maintain.

 

We know we need them, and there will be many more, so let’s explore how to keep them current.

 

Keeping Policies and Procedures Up to Date

These are just some of the ideas for keeping them up to date.

 

Industry Associations and Networks

 

Joining industry associations can provide valuable insights into emerging best practices and shared challenges. These platforms often offer resources and forums for discussing compliance strategies.

 

Professional Development and Training

 

Encourage continuous professional development among your health and safety staff. Attending conferences, seminars can keep your team informed about the latest trends and legislative changes.

Internal Compliance Reviews

 

Regularly schedule internal audits or reviews to assess the alignment of your policies and procedures with current laws and industry standards. This can identify areas needing updates or adjustments.

 

Have A Knowledge Champion

 

As the name suggests, this is someone who looks after and champions policies and procedures. Preferably someone who loves this stuff.

 

Engage a Health and Safety Consultant

 

On a retainer basis. An industry expert to keep you up to date.

 

And Finally

In this first article, we’ve looked at how policies and procedures are foundational to ensuring that organisations comply with the law and form part of a safe work environment for their employees. We reviewed some common challenges and looked at a few ways to keep them current.

 

Corporate OHS – Health and Safety

 

If you are looking for support with occupational health and safety in the UAE and help from expert Safety Consultants. Corporate OHS are a Health and Safety Consultancy services provider 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;

• Health and Safety Risk Assessments
• Hazard identification and control measure implementation
• Gap Analysis
• Audits and compliance audits
• HSE management system development, implementation and review. Including locally compliant systems such as OSHAD or OSHJ. And/or accredited systems such as ISO 45001, ISO 14001,
  ISO 9001 and ISO 50001
• HSE legal compliance reviews and assistance
• Accident investigations
• Business continuity and crisis management
• Long term or project based HSE outsourcing
• Flexible monthly support retainers giving access to HSE service without the burden of a permanent cost

To find out more about our services. Please visit our website www.corporateohs.com or send an email to enquiries@corporateohs.com, or call 00 971 4 550 7862.