Abu Dhabi · OSHAD

OSHAD codes of practice and practitioner registration

Two things decide whether an Abu Dhabi construction site stands up to inspection: whether the right codes of practice have been mapped to the work and evidenced in daily records, and whether the people holding OSH roles are registered at the correct category. This page explains how both work in practice and what to prepare.

Code titles, numbering and registration categories are published and revised by the authority. Nothing here replaces the current published version — use it to organise your own compliance and verify every reference against the official source before you submit.

How the codes are grouped

The codes fall into recognisable families. Management codes apply to every entity; technical, health and welfare codes are triggered by what you do and the exposures you create.

Management codes

Apply to every entity regardless of trade: OSH management system requirements, risk management, roles and responsibilities, training and competence, communication and consultation, emergency management, incident notification and investigation, auditing and inspection, and performance monitoring and reporting.

Technical codes by activity

Triggered by what you actually build: work at height, excavation and trenching, confined space entry, lifting operations and cranes, electrical safety and energy isolation, hot work, scaffolding and temporary works, plant and mobile equipment, demolition, and traffic and pedestrian segregation.

Health and exposure codes

Applied where an exposure exists: heat stress and the summer working arrangements, hazardous substances and chemical management, noise, vibration, dust and respirable silica, manual handling and ergonomics, occupational health surveillance and fitness to work.

Welfare and site provision codes

Cover the conditions the workforce works and lives under: drinking water and sanitation, rest areas and welfare facilities, first aid and medical provision, accommodation and transport arrangements where they form part of your scope, and personal protective equipment.

Mapping the codes to your scope in five steps

1. List the activities, not the trades
Break the scope into the tasks that actually create exposure — excavating to 3 m, erecting scaffold, lifting precast, entering a wet well, spraying coatings — rather than the contract package names.
2. Match each activity to the codes it triggers
One activity often triggers several: a confined space entry pulls in confined space, gas testing, rescue and emergency response, and hazardous substances. Record the code reference and version you matched against.
3. Name the procedure that answers each code
Against every matched code, name your own procedure, risk assessment or permit that delivers it. Gaps show up immediately as codes with nothing written next to them.
4. Prove it with a site record
For each matched code, identify the record an inspector would ask for on the day — the permit, the checklist, the competence certificate, the inspection sheet — and make sure it is filed by site and by date.
5. Re-check when the scope or the code changes
Re-run the mapping when a new phase starts, when a subcontractor brings a new activity, and when the authority reissues a code. Record the review date and who did it.

Practitioner registration and the practitioner card

OSH roles in Abu Dhabi are expected to be filled by registered practitioners, with the registration category matching the role and the risk of the work. The registration record carries a reference, a category and an expiry — all three belong in the training register, not in someone's wallet.

Confirm which OSH role the project needs and the risk level of the work, because the registration category follows the role, not the person's preference.
Collect the recognised qualification evidence — certificate, issuing body, certificate number and issue date — plus verifiable experience.
Apply through the authority's practitioner registration route under the employing entity, and keep the submission reference.
Record the resulting registration reference, category and expiry in the training register alongside the qualification.
Diarise renewal well before expiry, and any continuing professional development the category requires.
Re-verify on mobilisation to a new project, and record the verification date in the project file.

Verify the current requirement yourself

The code list, the current version of each code and the practitioner registration categories are maintained by the authorities. Check them directly, and confirm which sector authority regulates your project.

Run it in the platform

OSHAD portal for Abu Dhabi practitioners (sign in) Training & registration records (sign in)Site risk register (sign in)

Where to go next

Frequently asked questions

What is an OSHAD code of practice?

A code of practice is a published document under the Abu Dhabi OSH system framework that sets out what is expected for a particular subject — a management element such as risk management or incident reporting, or a technical subject such as work at height, excavation, confined space, hazardous substances or heat stress. Entities apply the codes that are relevant to the work they do, and demonstrate compliance through their own management system and site records.

How many codes of practice apply to my construction site?

Only the ones your scope triggers. A fit-out contractor and a deep-excavation contractor land on very different sets. The practical method is to list your activities, match each to the relevant technical code, add the management codes that apply to every entity, and record which of your procedures answers each one. Confirm the current code list and version numbers on the authority's own site, because codes are reissued and renumbered over time.

What is an OSHAD practitioner card?

Abu Dhabi operates registration for OSH practitioners, so the person filling an OSH role holds a recognised qualification and is registered at the category matching the role and the risk of the work. The registration record — often referred to on site as the practitioner card — carries a reference, a category and an expiry. Keep all three with the person's training record so it can be produced during an inspection.

How do I check whether a practitioner's registration is valid?

Ask for the registration reference and category, then verify it against the authority's own register or through the employing entity's OSH management representative rather than relying on a photocopy or a photograph of a card. Record the date you verified it. Registration categories and the evidence required are reviewed periodically.

Does the OSHAD framework replace Federal Law 33 of 2021?

No. The federal labour law and its implementing resolutions apply UAE-wide — the summer midday break, worker accommodation and welfare, and the employer's general duty of care. The Abu Dhabi framework and its codes sit on top of the federal requirements, not instead of them.

What evidence shows a code of practice is actually being applied?

A procedure that names the code, risk assessments and method statements that carry its controls into the task, competence records for the people doing that work, permits or checklists produced on the day, inspection and audit findings with closed corrective actions, and the performance data you report. A code referenced only in a manual, with no site record behind it, is the most common finding.

Reference material, not legal advice. Code of practice titles, numbering, versions and practitioner registration categories are set and revised by the Abu Dhabi authorities — confirm the current requirement for your project and your sector authority before relying on this page.