Site Environment
Wildlife Encounter Safety
Recognise and respond to wildlife hazards on UAE construction and industrial sites — snakes, scorpions, camel spiders, feral dogs and stray camels — including exclusion, first aid and reporting.
Learning Objectives
- Identify the common venomous and nuisance wildlife found on UAE sites.
- Apply site controls that prevent wildlife entering active work areas.
- Respond safely to a bite, sting or animal encounter without escalating risk.
- Deliver correct first aid for snake bites and scorpion stings pending EMS arrival.
- Report wildlife incidents through ADOSH-SF and the client's HSE reporting channel.
Training Video
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1. UAE Wildlife Hazards
The most common site species are the Arabian saw-scaled viper and Oman carpet viper (venomous), the yellow (Deathstalker) and black fat-tailed scorpions (highly venomous), camel spiders (painful bite, not venomous), feral dogs and stray camels near desert or peri-urban sites. Activity peaks at dawn, dusk and overnight, and during March–October when temperatures are highest.
2. Prevention & Site Controls
Keep laydown areas tidy — no piles of pipe, rubble or timber where snakes shelter. Store PPE in sealed containers, never on the floor. Shake out boots, gloves and hard hats before donning. Seal cabin door thresholds and cover drains. Remove food waste daily to avoid attracting rodents and the snakes that follow them. Barricade excavations at the end of shift so animals do not fall in overnight.
3. If You See An Animal
Stop, back away slowly, keep at least 3 metres. Never try to catch, kill, corner or photograph up close. Alert co-workers, isolate the area with cones or barrier tape, and call the HSE officer. For camels or feral dogs, contact the client's security team; for snakes and scorpions, request the site's trained wildlife handler or Municipality Animal Control.
4. Bites & Stings — First Aid
Snake bite: keep the casualty calm and still, immobilise the bitten limb below heart level, remove watches and rings, do NOT cut, suck, apply ice or a tourniquet. Mark the swelling edge with a pen and time. Scorpion sting: wash with soap and water, apply a cold pack (not ice directly), monitor for breathing difficulty, sweating or muscle spasms in children and the elderly. Call 998 (Ambulance) immediately for any bite or systemic symptoms.
5. Reporting & Records
Every wildlife encounter, bite or sting is a reportable near-miss under ADOSH-SF and the site's Incident Reporting Procedure. Record species (or photo from a safe distance), location, time, casualty condition and control action. Trends drive housekeeping, fencing and pest-control decisions — one snake in the compound is data; three is a system failure.
6. Working in Desert & Coastal Areas
Wear ankle-length boots and long trousers in undeveloped ground. Use a torch after dark — many bites happen when workers step on unseen scorpions or snakes. Never reach blindly into rock cavities, culverts, formwork stacks or dark corners. On coastal sites, avoid disturbing turtle nesting zones (May–August) which are legally protected under UAE Federal Law No. 24 of 1999.
Knowledge Assessment
1. Which UAE snake is medically significant on construction sites?
2. Before putting on boots on site, workers should:
3. Correct minimum stand-off distance when a snake is spotted:
4. For a snake bite you should:
5. UAE Ambulance emergency number is:
6. The Deathstalker scorpion on UAE sites is:
7. Best housekeeping control against snakes in a laydown yard:
8. For a scorpion sting the correct action is:
9. Excavations should be barricaded at end of shift to:
10. A wildlife encounter on site should be:
Certificate
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Acknowledgement
By signing below, you confirm you have watched the training video, understood the material, and will apply these controls on site.