Occupational Diseases UAE

What are the Occupational Illnesses Under UAE Labour Law?

Occupational diseases are considered, under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021, as illnesses due to occupational environmental exposures with major risks like heat-related illnesses, musculoskeletal disorders, and silica/asbestos-induced lung diseases.

Companies in industries like manufacturing, construction and healthcare are at higher risk. Owing to this risk, mandatory health exams are needed for employers exposed to risk at least every 6 months.

Common Industrial Diseases Recognised in the UAE

Here are the common types of occupational diseases -

Lead and Its Compounds’ Poisoning

Any work that requires using or handling lead, its compounds, or lead-containing materials can pose a health risk. This also includes handling raw materials containing lead, old lead, and zinc, smelting lead, preparing and using lead-containing porcelain enamel, lead casting, manufacturing lead compounds, and so on. 

Mercury and Its Compounds’ Poisoning

This refers to poisoning due to exposure to mercury dust, compounds, fumes, or mercury-containing materials. The exposure could be due to manufacturing mercury compounds, laboratory equipment, and mercury gauges. It could also be because of preparing the materials used in manufacturing hats, the use of mercury in gold mining, gilding works, and mercury-based explosives. 

Arsenic and Its Compounds’ Poisoning

It includes poisoning that occurs because of using or handling arsenic or its compounds, or exposure to dust or arsenic gases, or their compounds.

Some Other Poisonings Include -

• Antimony Poisoning
• Chromium Poisoning
• Platinum Poisoning
• Beryllium Poisoning
• Thallium Poisoning
• Tin Poisoning
• Aluminium Poisoning
• Phosphorus Poisoning
• Petroleum Poisoning
• Hydrocarbon Poisoning
• Plastic Poisoning
• Cadmium Poisoning
• Magnesium Poisoning
• Nickel Poisoning
• Vanadium Poisoning
• Silver Poisoning
• Zinc Poisoning
• Copper Poisoning
• Sulphur or Sulphur Oxide Poisoning
• Chloroform and Carbon Tetrachloride Poisoning 
• Dinitrophenol Poisoning
• Insecticide Poisoning
• Carbon Dioxide Poisoning
• Antibiotic Poisoning

Occupational Diseases Because of Materials and Physical Agents

• Deafness - Work of/at copper smiths, steam boilers, aircraft engine repair workshops, aircraft captain, steel nail industry, and manufacturing machinery
• Varicose Veins - Work that requires standing throughout the working hours
• Direct Inguinal Hernia - Work that requires lifting, dragging, or pushing heavy weights (at least 1 ton per day for at least 2 years)
• Orthopaedic and Joint Diseases of Elbow, Osteomalacia, Kienbock’s Disease, Raynaud’s Disease - Exposure to vibrations like using pneumatic hammers, grinding and polishing operations, and using low-frequency vibration tools
• Diseases Because of Cold Shock - Working in extreme cold temperatures, such as operating refrigerators or working in cold marshy lands 
• Chronic Recurrent Laryngitis - Work that causes vocal stress (occupations like orators, teachers, and broadcasters)
• Chronic Inflammation of Tendons, Ligaments, and Tendon Sheaths - Occupations like typewriter users and goldsmiths
• Brachial Plexus Palsy - Work that requires consistent and repeated pressure on the shoulder, like loading and porterage work

Occupational Diseases Due to Biological Agents

• Diseases Caused by Parasitic or Infectious Biological Agents - Working in clinics, diagnostic and treatment centres, and healthcare centres
• Bronchial and Lung Diseases due to Hard Metal Dust
• Pulmonary Dust Diseases - Common in workers working in mines and quarries, making abrasive sandstones, stone carving or grinding, metal sandblasting, or work that requires exposure to silica dust or asbestos dust
• Severe Dyspnea and Pulmonary Dysfunction - Workers exposed to the inhalation of dust caused by storage or grinding grains, flour packaging for industrial and commercial uses, agricultural operations where the exposure is to hay, fodder, straw, and breeding birds
• Chronic Toxicity-induced Pulmonary Sclerosis - Exposure to fumes of acid, alkalis, and corrosive gases, related occupations include mining, working in laboratories dealing with these materials, and work in chemical industries 
• Emphysema - Workers working in manual manufacturing of glass or glass-blowing

Cancers Like

• Lung Cancer
• Bladder Cancer
• Skin Cancer
• Blood Cancer
• Liver Cancer
• Bronchopulmonary Cancer
• Nasal Cancer
• Mesothelioma 
• Peritoneal Cancer
• Throat Cancer
• Sinus Cancer
• Respiratory Tract Cancer
• Nasal Tip Cancer
• Liver Hemangioma
• Brain Cancer
• Sinus and Maxillary Cancer
• Prostate Cancer
• Lung and Bronchial Cancer

Major Industries with Occupational Disease Risk

The major industries that face high risk of occupational diseases include -

• Construction and Infrastructure
• Manufacturing (Iron and Steel/Cement, Glass, Tobacco, Paper, Dyes, and Adhesives)
• Transportation and Cleaning
• Oil and Gas and Petrochemical
• Healthcare and Dentistry
• Mining Industry
• Agricultural Operations
• Poultry Farming
• Sanitisation, Fumigation, and Pest Control
• Pharmaceuticals and Food Conversation Industry

What Causes Occupational Illness in the UAE?

Extreme heat, ergonomic hazards, chemical exposure, and biological risks are usually the causes of occupational diseases. The major industries include construction and manufacturing.

What are Employees Entitled to in Case of a Workplace Disease?

In the UAE, employees with a recognised occupational illness or injury are entitled to free medical treatment until recovery or proven disability. The employers need to pay full wages during the treatment for up to 6 months, followed by half-wages for another 6 months.

The key entitlements include -

• Medical expenses
• Wage compensation
• Disability/death compensation
• Sick leave
• Reporting requirement 

Note that the compensation is paid according to Federal Law No. 33 of 2021 Regarding the Regulation of Employment Relationship and its amendments.

Workers also have some obligations to -

• Use the protective equipment and clothing provided to them
• Comply with all the instructions your employer provides 
• Don’t take actions contradicting these instructions 
• Follow instructions related to occupational health and safety
• Use the protective equipment properly and maintain it

What are the Legal Duties of the Employers in Case of Occupational Diseases in the UAE?

It is the employers’ obligation to -

• Provide all the necessary facilities to protect the workers against risks of occupational diseases and injuries
• Place warning and awareness signage
• Ensure the right training for workers to avoid risks
• Conduct regular evaluations to make sure that employees and the parties involved comply with the occupational health and safety requirements

Note: Organisations with 50 or more workers should have a dedicated monitoring system to track occupational diseases and work-related injuries. The system should include -

• A record of work-related injuries and occupational illnesses
• All the necessary preventive tools and training programmes for employees involved in high-risk activities
• An inventory of every activity that can pose a risk to the health and safety of workers
• Number of workers performing risky jobs
• A mechanism to —
  • Conduct periodic health exams for workers involved in hazardous activities
  • Report incidents related to work injuries and industrial diseases to the organisation on time
  • Inspect the incidents of work injuries and workplace diseases, and take the right measures to protect the workers
  • Get a report from the competent medical committees that presents the degree of disability or the level of occupational disease
• A register of periodic medical examination of the worker
• A record of employees exposed to occupational hazards for a period of not less than 5 years after the termination of service
• Paperwork confirming the worker’s employment tenure in high-risk professions after their departure  

How Does Occupational Disease Compensation Work?

Here’s how the occupational disease compensation works -

• The employer should treat and compensate the worker who has sustained an occupational disease.
• The employer should pay the compensation specified in Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 after the medical report is issued. They need to specify the level of disease/disability and make the payment within a maximum period of 10 days.
• In cases of occupational disease resulting in the worker's death, compensation goes to the worker's dependents.
• In the case of permanent total disability,  the compensation due to the worker is equal to the amount payable in the event of their death.

Role of Insurance for Occupational Disease Protection in the UAE

In the UAE, the top employers provide their employees with real-time protection with insurance policies like workmen’s compensation insurance and group health insurance.

You can buy these insurance policies to protect your employees on Policybazaar.ae. Click the button below to start and check the best quotes today!

Frequently Asked Questions

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