A Framework Supporting Health and Safety Practices in the United Arab Emirates’ Construction Projects

Abstract

The construction business in the UAE has seen a significant increase in the type, amount, and complexity of structures, with safety and health being one of the most important tasks in order for projects to continue. A lack of sufficient health and safety rules in the construction industry is one of the key difficulties, based on which the aim of the current research is to develop an integrated framework for optimising H&S in the UAE’s construction industry. To meet this aim of the study, the present study conducted an exhaustive investigation of all current health and safety standards in the UAE construction industry across all Emirates. A total of 63 interviews were performed with construction and consulting organisations in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah to investigate the existing status and efficacy of safety and health standards in the UAE construction industry and to identify areas for improvement. Despite the fact that H&S laws and regulations are enforced across the UAE, the findings demonstrated that they are neither standardised nor universal. In addition, the findings revealed that there is no one entity accountable for implementing the safety and health standards. In accordance with this, a precise and innovative structure for the formation of a federal body to serve as the industry’s single H&S regulator is suggested.