The UAE is making significant progress in enhancing health and safety standards at construction sites, although the implementation of unified legislation could further improve the situation across the region.
Despite the absence of comprehensive health and safety statistics for the Gulf, there is a consensus that site safety is on the rise. Build Safe UAE, the only organization in the region dedicated to collecting and analyzing site safety data, reports notable improvements in the UAE from 2008 to 2009.
Data from 18 contractors covering 388 projects indicated 690 lost-time incidents and 20 fatalities in 2008. However, in 2009, 36 contractors reported on 479 projects. Although the number of projects increased, fatalities decreased to 10, and lost-time incidents fell to 530.
“The UAE is making significant strides in health and safety,” states Peter Neville, health and safety manager for Halcrow in the Middle East and a member of Build Safe UAE. “The existing legislation effectively protects individuals both on-site and off-site.”
Key Statistic:
- 50%: Reduction in on-site fatalities in the UAE from 2008 to 2009.
Legislation Overview
Despite these advancements, there is still considerable work needed to enhance health and safety practices in the region.
“Legislation across the GCC remains fragmented and is generally at an early development stage,” explains Brian Colquhoun, regional health and safety manager at UK consultancy Mott MacDonald. “Specific health and safety legislation is often lacking and is typically found only in the Labour Law. While the UAE has existing laws, they are not federal, leading to variations across emirates.”
The primary legislation in the UAE is the Labour Law from 1980, supplemented by a ministerial order from 1982. Chapter five of the law addresses the safety, protection, health, and social welfare of employees in ten articles. These articles delineate workers’ rights regarding protective equipment, fire safety, first aid, ventilation, sanitation, water supply, and medical care.
However, the law’s references to site safety are quite general. Construction professionals advocate for more specific regulations. For instance, Article 97 states, “The employer or his representative must inform employees of the hazards associated with their profession and the preventive measures to be taken, displaying detailed written instructions at places of business.”
Such broad guidelines allow contractors significant leeway in interpretation. Additionally, requirements for written instructions are ineffective if provided in languages not understood by workers, such as Urdu-speaking laborers who may not read Arabic or English.
Contractors agree that unified health and safety legislation would be beneficial. “Standard legal requirements across the country will enhance health, safety, and environmental performance while preventing misunderstandings or gaps in awareness regarding these requirements,” asserts Wael Salah, corporate quality health, safety, and environment manager at Drake and Scull International, also a Build Safe member.
