Equipment Standards Matrix

Every equipment and work type used across Site Safety UAE, mapped to its applicable ADOSH-SF Code of Practice (v4.1, February 2026), the equivalent instrument in other emirates, and the pages where the reference appears.

Which rules apply: Abu Dhabi vs Dubai

The ADOSH-SF references on this page (CoP 15.0, 18.0, 23.0, 26.0, 29.0, 34.0, 36.0, 37.0, 44.0, 51.0 and 53.0) are Abu Dhabi instruments issued under the ADOSH-SF Occupational Safety and Health System Framework, and they are what an Abu Dhabi inspector will audit plant, access equipment and site installations against.

In Dubai the equivalent legal reference is the Dubai Municipality Code of Construction Safety Practice, with Trakhees EHS requirements in PCFC areas and DDA rules in Dubai Development Authority areas. Other emirates apply their municipal building-permit safety conditions — Sharjah uses OSHJ-CoP-04, RAK free-zone projects use the RAKEZ HS&E Construction Regulations. Federally, MOHRE Ministerial Resolution 32 of 2022 applies everywhere.

The controls below are technically equivalent across emirates, so ADOSH-SF is widely used as the project benchmark — but cite your own emirate's code on permits, method statements and inspection records.

Equipment / work type	ADOSH-SF CoP	Other emirates	Key requirement	Where it appears
Working at height (general)	CoP 23.0 Safety in Working at Height	DM Code of Construction Safety Practice; OSHJ-CoP-04 (Sharjah); RAKEZ HS&E	Hierarchy of control, WAH permit above 1.8 m, harness pre-use inspection every shift, anchorage 2,450 kg (~24 kN) per person, rescue plan	Working at Height overview WAH authorities WAH checklist Checklists library
Scaffolding	CoP 26.0 Scaffolding	DM CCSP scaffolding requirements; OSHJ scaffold provisions	Competent scaffolders under a scaffold supervisor, 2.4–2.5 m maximum bay length, 2.0 m lift height, scafftag before first use and at least every 7 days	Working at Height overview WAH checklist Compliance hub
Ladders and stepladders	CoP 37.0 Ladders	DM CCSP access provisions; BS EN 131 professional classification	Short-duration low-risk work only, 1:4 angle, tied or footed, 1 m handhold above the landing, colour-coded pre-use register	Ladders topic page WAH checklist
Tower cranes and lifting equipment	CoP 34.0 Safe Use of Lifting Equipment and Lifting Accessories + CoP 53.1 (OSH Construction Management Plan) for the lifting plan	Dubai Municipality crane examination and certification (mandatory in Dubai)	Annual third-party thorough examination and load test, daily pre-use check, written lifting plan, licensed operator; lifting stops above 38 km/h wind	Plant & machinery overview Plant authorities Plant checklist
MEWPs (scissor and boom lifts)	CoP 36.0 Plant and Equipment + CoP 34.0 — MEWPs are also treated as lifting equipment	IPAF PAL card accepted by DM, ADOSH-SF and most UAE authorities	TPI certificate, IPAF (or equivalent) operator card plus machine familiarisation, pre-use inspection, restraint lanyard to the basket anchor in a boom lift, written rescue plan	MEWPs & suspended access Plant & machinery overview Plant checklist
Mast climbers and suspended cradles	CoP 34.0 Safe Use of Lifting Equipment and Lifting Accessories + CoP 23.0 for the work-at-height controls	DM CCSP suspended access provisions	Third-party certified installation, secondary safety device / rope grab, daily pre-use check, rescue arrangements	MEWPs & suspended access Working at Height overview
Earthmoving plant (excavators, dozers, dump trucks)	CoP 36.0 Plant and Equipment + CoP 44.0 (Traffic Management and Logistics)	DM CCSP plant and site traffic provisions	Plant register with current inspection certificate, ROPS/FOPS fitted, competency certificate per plant type, exclusion zones and banksman control	Plant & machinery overview Plant checklist
Forklifts and powered lift trucks	CoP 51.0 Powered Lift Trucks	DM CCSP materials-handling provisions	Valid forklift operator licence, segregated pedestrian and truck routes, daily pre-use check, annual thorough examination	Plant & machinery overview Plant authorities
Temporary electrical installations and generators	CoP 15.0 Electrical Safety	Dubai Building Code 2021; IEC 60364 / BS 7671 alignment	Competent-person installation, RCD protection with recorded tests, monthly inspection of the temporary installation, formal LOTO for isolation	Site electrical overview Site electrical authorities
Excavations and shoring	CoP 29.0 Excavation Work	DM CCSP excavation permits; municipal NOC and utility clearance	Shoring or battering above 1.5 m, daily inspection by a competent person, edge protection and safe access, utility scan before breaking ground	Compliance hub Checklists library
Labour accommodation and welfare	CoP 18.0 Employer Supplied Accommodation (with CoP 18.1) + CoP 53.1 for construction-phase welfare planning	Cabinet Resolution No. 13 of 2009 (UAE Labour Camp Regulations); ADM Welfare Spec	Documented employer inspection regime, occupancy and sanitation limits, potable water and Legionella control, fire and emergency arrangements	Labour camp compliance Compliance hub
Construction OSH management plan	CoP 53.1 OSH Management During Construction	DM CCSP project HSE plan; OSHJ management-system requirements	Project OSH plan covering plant registers, lifting plans, permits, competency and emergency response before mobilisation	Compliance hub Emirates HSE

ADOSH-SF (formerly OSHAD) Codes of Practice are Abu Dhabi instruments. Cite your own emirate's code on permits and official submissions. This matrix is informational and does not replace the authority-issued documents.

Coverage boundaries and verification

This page summarises publicly available UAE regulatory context and provides templates and registers as a starting point. It is not a legal compliance certification, and it does not confirm which requirements apply to your works.

Each project must confirm its controlling authority, permit conditions, contract requirements and master-developer or free-zone rules in writing — conditions vary by emirate, plot, jurisdiction and project phase.
Templates and checklists must be adapted to the site, sequence and method statement by a competent person before use as evidence.
Awareness content builds understanding; it does not establish competence and must be supplemented by site-specific instruction and competent-person assessment.

Official sources last checked 25 August 2026. Always re-verify against the authority's own published version before submission.

Equipment Standards Matrix

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