Occupational safety International framework and country guides
Are pre-employment and periodic medical examinations required for workers in the United Arab Emirates?
Part of: Occupational safety and health in United Arab Emirates: law, authorities and employer duties
Short answer
Yes. MOHRE Administrative Decision No. 19 of 2023 requires a medical examination before work starts, examinations at least every six months for workers exposed to occupational disease risks, and examinations on job transfer and at the end of service, arranged by the employer.
Yes. Under MOHRE Administrative Decision No. 19 of 2023 every worker must have a medical examination before starting work, workers exposed to occupational disease risks must be examined at least every six months, and further examinations are due on job transfer and at the end of service. The employer arranges them, provides medical care and medication free of charge, and keeps the records.
Short answer
- Pre-employment: a professional medical examination before work starts, recorded in the worker's file.
- Periodic: at least every six months for workers exposed to occupational disease risks, according to the Cabinet schedule of occupational diseases; earlier re-checks if the doctor requires.
- Transfer and end of service: an examination, with results kept while the establishment exists.
- Records: for establishments with 50 or more workers, a medical examination log and exposure records kept at least five years after service ends (Ministerial Resolution No. 657 of 2022).
- Cost: the examinations are an employer duty, and the employer must provide medical care and medication free of charge (Article 6(2)); workers should not be charged for them.
- Separate from these OSH examinations, residence visa procedures include their own medical fitness screening, which does not replace them.
What the rules say
Article 6 of Administrative Decision No. 19 of 2023 (which replaced Administrative Decision No. 28 of 2022 in August 2023, keeping the same examination rules) covers health care. Besides the examinations above, it requires that workers exposed to occupational diseases receive paid sick leave and treatment at the employer's cost, and are removed from the hazard if the doctor advises it. The schedule of occupational diseases is set by the Cabinet; Cabinet Resolution No. 33 of 2022 on work injuries and occupational diseases contains the schedules used for recognition and compensation.
Ministerial Resolution No. 657 of 2022 adds, for establishments with 50 or more workers, an inventory of hazardous activities and the workers in them, periodic health examinations for workers in hazardous activities, a medical examination log and a document given to each worker at the end of service showing the time spent in hazardous work.
The OSH management system must include the dates of medical check-ups, and the OSH register must record the periodic examinations (Administrative Decision No. 19 of 2023, Articles 2 and 3).
Choosing the tests
The texts set the timing, not the test content. The examining doctor chooses tests according to the exposure identified in the risk assessment, for example:
| Exposure | Typical tests chosen by the doctor |
|---|---|
| Noise | Audiometry |
| Dust, fumes, respiratory sensitisers | Lung function, chest imaging where indicated |
| Lead and some other metals or solvents | Biological monitoring |
| Heat, outdoor work | Fitness for heat exposure, hydration advice |
| Driving, crane or forklift operation | Vision and fitness to drive |
The decision on fitness for work belongs to the doctor.
Example: A metal fabrication plant in Ras Al Khaimah employs 80 workers, 25 of them welders and grinders exposed to noise and welding fume. All new workers have a pre-employment examination; the 25 exposed workers are examined every six months with audiometry and lung function, the results are logged, and exposure records are kept for five years after each worker leaves.
Common mistakes
- Relying on the visa medical. It serves a different purpose and does not cover occupational exposures.
- Annual instead of six-monthly checks for exposed workers. The UAE minimum for exposed workers is every six months.
- Discarding records when a worker leaves. Exposure records must be kept for at least five years after service ends in establishments with 50 or more workers.
Related on excodex
- Occupational safety and health in United Arab Emirates: law, authorities and employer duties
- Must a UAE employer appoint a safety professional or occupational physician?
- How and within what time must a workplace accident be reported in the UAE?
Standards and further reading
- Administrative Decision No. 19 of 2023, Article 6: government.ae
- MOHRE, guidelines on work injuries and occupational diseases (Ministerial Resolution No. 657 of 2022): mohre.gov.ae
- Cabinet Resolution No. 33 of 2022 on Work Injuries and Occupational Diseases: 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.
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