The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation announces the schedule of occupational diseases and work injuries

The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization announced the start of implementation of Cabinet Resolution No. 33 of 2022 on Work Injuries and Occupational Diseases, which provides a strong impetus to efforts to improve occupational health standards, safeguarding the safety and rights of all categories of workers at the state level.

The Ministry is committed to raising standards of health and safety and to reducing the risks of work injuries to support the efficiency and attractiveness of the labor market.

The new decision clarified the schedule of occupational diseases and injuries resulting in total and partial disability, which includes 17 types of occupational diseases and 7 types of occupational injuries resulting in permanent total disability and 45 types of injuries resulting in permanent partial disability.

The announcement of the schedule of occupational injuries and diseases is made as part of the Ministry's development of an integrated labour system that covers occupational health and safety requirements and supports the unification and integration of efforts at the national level to develop occupational health and safety policies and reduce occupational accidents and injuries in coordination with the concerned authorities and local institutions.

His Excellency Khalil Al-Khoury, Acting Undersecretary for Human Resources Affairs, stressed that the Ministry is continuously developing and improving occupational health and safety policies for all workers in the private sector, especially in light of the evolution of work patterns in the rapidly changing business world. In this way, the attractive environment that the state provides for global talent, skills and investment is consolidated and improved.

His Excellency pointed out that the Ministry continues to implement best practices to improve worker safety in various sectors, in cooperation and coordination with the relevant authorities in the country, in order to reduce occupational accidents as much as possible.

The resolution set out the procedures and conditions to be followed in the event of work-related injuries or occupational diseases to ensure the fastest response to accidents and strengthen preventive measures against work-related diseases.

Ibrahim Al-Ammari, director of the Occupational Health and Safety Department at the ministry, said that the schedule clearly identifies occupational diseases and accidents and raises awareness among workers and establishments of all diseases and injuries classified by the ministry to ensure that they are reported and the recommended guidelines are followed. He explained that in February, the Ministry worked on a survey on mechanisms to develop and improve occupational health and safety policies for workers and establishments in the private sector and provide the best services to stakeholders in the public and private sectors.

According to the Cabinet decision, the employer or his legal representative must inform the medical authority and the competent police station according to the catchment area, so that notification is made immediately in the event of an occupational injury resulting from an accident or injury other than an occupational disease, from the date the employer becomes aware of the existence of a suspected occupational disease.

The employer shall also be required to notify the Ministry through the designated channels within a period not exceeding 48 hours from the time it becomes aware of the suspected occupational disease or other occupational injury, provided that the notification includes the employee's name, age, occupation, nationality, place of employment, ID number and description as well as a summary of the accident or occupational disease, its circumstances and the measures taken to rescue and treat the worker.

The decision established the procedures for investigating occupational accidents and diseases, as well as the mechanism for approving medical reports and the compensation owed to the employee by the employer.

It provides that all medical authorities in the country shall submit to the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization the data on occupational accidents and diseases that it receives periodically, so that the data includes the name, ID number, nationality, place of injury, date of injury, emirate, degree of injury, and the name of the health authority.

The decision contributes to raising occupational health standards for workers in all sectors and strengthening the organizational structure of the labor market in the country.