ADOSH SF Codes of Practice: the list contractors cite, and the numbers people get wrong
Risk assessments and method statements in Abu Dhabi cite ADOSH SF Codes of Practice by number. Cite the wrong number (or the right number with the wrong title) and the reviewer starts doubting everything else in the document. This is the reference list we use for construction submissions.
The Abu Dhabi Occupational Safety and Health System Framework (ADOSH SF, version 4.0) is supported by numbered Codes of Practice for specific hazards and activities. Construction risk assessments typically cite ten to twenty of them. The numbering has shifted over the framework’s history, and old submissions are copied forward, so mis-citations are common.
How to cite a Code of Practice
- Cite the framework as ADOSH SF 4.0. Do not cite OSHAD or the retired OSHAD-SF 3.1.
- Give the number and the title: “CoP 23.0 Working at Height”, not just “CoP 23”.
- Where a Code of Practice has been reissued (Working at Height and Scaffolding were reissued at version 4.1 in February 2026), the number does not change.
- Confirm numbers against the current index published by the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre when you are in doubt.
The construction list
| CoP | Title | Typical construction use |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | Hazardous Materials | Bitumen, primers, emulsions, epoxy, curing compounds, fuels |
| 2.0 | Personal Protective Equipment | Every risk assessment |
| 3.0 / 3.1 | Occupational Noise / Vibration | Compaction plant, breakers, cutting, plate compactors |
| 4.0 | First Aid and Medical Emergency Treatment | Emergency response, burns provision |
| 5.0 | Occupational Health Screening and Medical Surveillance | Operator and driver medical fitness |
| 8.0 | General Workplace Amenities | Welfare, shaded rest areas, drinking water |
| 11.0 | Safety in Heat | All outdoor work |
| 14.0 | Manual Handling and Ergonomics | Kerbs, pavers, blocks, sign panels |
| 15.0 | Electrical Safety | Temporary supplies, generators, isolations |
| 17.0 | Safety Signs and Signals | Work zone signage, banksman signals |
| 21.0 | Permit to Work Systems | All permit-controlled work |
| 22.0 | Barricading of Hazards | Excavations, exclusion zones, tipping areas |
| 23.0 | Working at Height | Roofs, towers, MEWPs, sign erection |
| 25.0 | Driver Fatigue Prevention | Tipper and delivery drivers |
| 26.0 | Scaffolding | Only where scaffolds are used |
| 27.0 | Confined Spaces | Manholes, chambers, tanks |
| 28.0 | Hot Work Operations | Thermoplastic kettles, torch-applied membranes, welding |
| 29.0 | Excavation Work | Trenches, foundations, sign foundations |
| 30.0 | Lone Working and Remote Locations | Survey teams |
| 33.0 / 33.1 | Working On or Adjacent to a Road / Traffic Incident Site Management | Live-road works and marking |
| 34.0 | Safe Use of Lifting Equipment and Lifting Accessories | Cranes, HIAB offloading, precast and steel erection |
| 35.0 | Portable Power Tools | Cutters, drills, grinders |
| 36.0 | Plant and Equipment | All mobile plant |
| 37.0 | Ladders | Short-duration access |
| 38.0 | Concrete Placing Equipment | Pumps, chutes, transit mixers |
| 39.0 | Overhead and Underground Services | Utility clearance before digging and drilling |
| 44.0 | Traffic Management and Logistics | Traffic management plans, deliveries, segregation |
| 49.0 | Compressed Gases and Air | LPG cylinders, compressed-air cleaning |
| 53.0 / 53.1 | OSH Management During Construction Work / OSH Construction Management Plan | Every construction submission |
| 54.0 | Waste Management | Housekeeping, debris, bitumen and chemical waste |
| TG 13.0 | Technical Guideline: Adverse Weather Conditions | Wind, dust storms, rain |
Citations to stop using
These appear in real submissions, usually copied from an older document:
| Seen in submissions | Why it is wrong | Cite instead |
|---|---|---|
| CoP 36.0 for lifting equipment | 36.0 is Plant and Equipment | CoP 34.0 |
| CoP 28.0 for working at height | 28.0 is Hot Work Operations | CoP 23.0 |
| CoP 17.0 for fire safety | 17.0 is Safety Signs and Signals | CoP 28.0 for hot work, plus the project emergency plan |
| CoP 22.0 for electrical safety | 22.0 is Barricading of Hazards | CoP 15.0 |
| CoP 26.0 for OSH management in construction | 26.0 is Scaffolding | CoP 53.0 |
| CoP 19.0 for hazardous substances | Wrong number | CoP 1.0 |
| CoP 33.0 for dust | 33.0 is Working On or Adjacent to a Road | CoP 1.0 and 2.0, plus the environmental plan |
Matching Codes of Practice to activities
Cite what the activity actually involves, and put the citations at the end of each control list in the risk assessment rather than as a block at the front. An excavation element cites 29.0, 39.0, 22.0 and 21.0; a thermoplastic marking element cites 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, 28.0 and 49.0; a crane lift cites 34.0 and 23.0. Citing every Code of Practice on every element is as unhelpful to a reviewer as citing none. For the legal basis, cite Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 on the regulation of labour relations, which replaced Federal Law No. 8 of 1980.
Questions
Cite ADOSH SF 4.0. OSHAD and OSHAD-SF 3.1 refer to earlier arrangements of the same framework and should no longer appear in current submissions.
CoP 34.0, Safe Use of Lifting Equipment and Lifting Accessories. CoP 36.0 is Plant and Equipment and is frequently mis-cited for lifting.
Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 on the regulation of labour relations, which repealed Federal Law No. 8 of 1980, together with Ministerial Order No. 32 of 1982 on the protection of workers where relevant.
Jumbat Studio checks every Code of Practice citation in your submission set against the current list and flags retired or mis-titled numbers before the consultant sees them.
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