UAE: 10 prohibitions for employees in the work environment to protect them from risks

The national standard for occupational health and safety management system in the United Arab Emirates, launched by the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority, identified 10 typical risks that may lead to work accidents, namely: electricity, machinery and equipment, hazardous chemicals, unusual temperatures, noise, and radiation. biological hazards, psychological hazards, manual tasks, and gravity.

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The Authority called on companies and institutions operating in the country to implement the procedures and controls that it set within the national standard for the Occupational Safety and Health Management System, stressing the importance of adhering to these controls to avoid the causes of work accidents and limit their impact if they occur.

The Director General of the Authority, Dr. Jamal Muhammad Al Hosani, told «Emirates Today», “The country’s record in the field of occupational safety and health is one of the most developed records in the world in terms of risk and accident rates, especially in the industrial sector,” noting that « In the interest of the authority to reduce the impact of risks, it worked continuously in cooperation with our strategic partners, in order to issue a national standard for the occupational safety and health management system for the United Arab Emirates, as this standard provides the main guidelines for occupational safety and health, for all institutions and companies operating in the country ». .

Al-Hosani pointed out that "the absence of these systems and standards may create many risks and accidents, which may lead to significant consequences and damage to work sites and to the national economy and its reputation and international status in general."

He added, "The steady expansion of the workforce in the country is accompanied by an increase in occupational safety and health risks in the work environment, so there must be sound controls for occupational safety and health management, in order to avoid the causes of these risks and associated accidents, and reduce their costs if they occur."

He pointed out that «there are three objectives of the national standard, which are: defining the occupational safety and health strategy and policy that institutions operating in the UAE must apply, and guiding institutions in developing a system for occupational safety and health management, with the distribution of roles and responsibilities according to specific procedures, and providing a methodology To manage occupational safety and health risks, to identify, evaluate and monitor these risks, as well as procedures for preventing accidents in the workplace, and how to deal with them in the event of their occurrence. Research conducted on accidents in the country shows that accidents related to occupational safety and health usually occur due to three factors: lack of proper safety governance, inadequate safety planning, and poor safety culture.

The guidance, which was included in the national standard, stressed the importance of investigating and reporting work accidents, as it stressed the importance of enabling employees to report the occurrence of accidents, as well as informing public authorities of the relevant data that was analyzed.

10. Risks

1
Manual tasks:

Excessive exertion or repetitive movement can lead to muscle fatigue.

2
gravity:

Falling objects, and people falling, slipping, and tripping can cause fractures, lacerations, concussions, permanent disabilities, or death.

3
electricity:

A potential source of ignition, and exposure to electrical wires connected to a source of electricity can cause electric shock or death.

4
The machines and the equipments:

Hitting a moving vehicle, or being caught by moving parts or machinery, can cause fractures, bruises, lacerations, concussions, injuries, permanent disabilities, or death.

5
Hazardous chemicals:

It can cause respiratory diseases, cancers, or dermatitis.

6
Unusual temperatures:

Heat can cause burns, sunstroke, or exhaustion, and can also cause

Cold, hypothermia or skin soreness.

7
the noise:

Exposure to loud noises can cause permanent hearing damage.

8
radiation:

Ultraviolet light, welding arc flashes, microwaves and lasers can cause burns, cancer or blindness.

9
Biological hazards:

Microorganisms can cause hepatitis, Q fever, and allergic reactions.

10
Psychological dangers:

The effects of work-related stress can cause workplace violence and work-related stress.