What OSH training must employers provide to workers in the United Arab Emirates?

Every UAE employer must tell workers about the risks of their job before they start, provide occupational safety and health (OSH) training suited to the activities, train first aiders, and record the training in the OSH register. Federal law does not fix course hours or refresher intervals; the content and frequency follow the risk assessment, with licences required for some roles such as crane operators.

Short answer

• Before work starts: inform each worker of the risks of the job (Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022, Article 22(1)(c)).
• General duty: provide appropriate training to avoid occupational risks (Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, Article 13(6)) and minimum training and skills tools (Article 13(5)).
• OSH system: training courses suited to the activities are one of the 15 required elements; training records go in the OSH register (MOHRE Administrative Decision No. 19 of 2023, Articles 2 and 3).
• Specific groups: first aiders, juveniles (OSH training is a condition of employing them), hands-on training for workers in high-risk jobs (Ministerial Resolution No. 657 of 2022).
• Licensed roles: crane operators need a valid licence; scaffolds must be erected and dismantled by licensed personnel (Administrative Decision No. 19 of 2023, Article 4).
• Before any disciplinary penalty for an OSH breach, the worker must have been trained in self-protection (Article 4(1) of the same decision).
• Workers must attend training.

What the texts require

Language matters in the UAE, where many workers speak neither Arabic nor English as a first language. The rule that instructions are given in Arabic and, where needed, in another language the workers understand applies equally to training.

Building a training plan

A practical plan follows the OSH management system:

1. Induction on the first day: site rules, hazards from the risk assessment, emergency and evacuation, first aid, reporting of hazards and injuries, heat stress and the midday break.
2. Task training for each job, with competence checked before working alone.
3. Licences and certificates for regulated roles (crane operators, scaffold erectors, drivers of worker transport).
4. First-aid training for enough workers to cover every shift and the labour accommodation.
5. Emergency drills; fire drills are recorded in the OSH register.
6. Refresher training after incidents, changes of process or poor inspection results. Refresher intervals are a matter of good practice, not a federal number.

Common mistakes

• Training only in English. Workers must understand the instructions.
• No records. Training that is not in the OSH register is hard to prove to an inspector.
• Ignoring emirate rules and client specifications. Abu Dhabi's OSHAD-SF and client contracts may require specific courses.

Related on excodex

• Occupational safety and health in United Arab Emirates: law, authorities and employer duties
• Is a written risk assessment mandatory in the UAE?
• Must a UAE employer appoint a safety professional or occupational physician?

Standards and further reading

• Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, Article 13: uaelegislation.gov.ae
• Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022, Articles 4 and 22: uaelegislation.gov.ae
• Administrative Decision No. 19 of 2023: government.ae
• Cabinet Resolution No. 15 of 2026, industrial gas facilities: uaelegislation.gov.ae

This article is general occupational safety and health information prepared by the excodex editorial team. It does not replace the applicable legislation, standards, manufacturers' instructions or the assessment of a competent OSH professional or occupational physician.