ADOSH-SF Explained: Abu Dhabi's Occupational Safety Framework, and Why There Is No 'OSHAD Certificate'

Two things about Abu Dhabi’s occupational safety framework are widely got wrong, including by providers who should know better.

First: OSHAD is the old name. The framework is now ADOSH-SF — the Abu Dhabi Occupational Safety and Health System Framework. ADPHC’s own version 4.0 update notes state that the acronym was changed from OSHAD-SF to ADOSH-SF, and that the centre was renamed from the Abu Dhabi Occupational Safety and Health Centre (OSHAD) to the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre (ADPHC), following Law No. 14 of 2019 which established ADPHC.

So if you have read that “ADOSH is an older term for OSHAD,” it is the wrong way round.

Second: there is no “OSHAD certificate.” This is the most-searched question on the topic and the answer is that the thing being searched for does not exist in the form people imagine. What exists is a system of review and approval — explained below.

What ADOSH-SF is

ADOSH-SF is Abu Dhabi’s regulatory framework for occupational safety and health. It requires entities operating in the emirate to establish and maintain an OSH management system meeting defined requirements.

It has been developed over nearly two decades:

• 2008 — framework launched at a national symposium, version 1.0
• 2009 — reissued as the Abu Dhabi EHSMS Regulatory Framework, following the Royal Decree of the Crown Prince, Chairman of the Executive Council, No. 42 of 2009
• 2010 — Abu Dhabi Occupational Safety and Health Centre (OSHAD) established
• 2012 — version 2.0, adding Elements, Mechanisms, Codes of Practice, Occupational Standards and Technical Guidelines
• 2019 — ADPHC established under Law No. 14 of 2019, taking over administration
• Version 4.0 — framework acronym updated to ADOSH-SF, documents rebranded to ADPHC

Check ADPHC for the current version before relying on any document — the framework is periodically revised.

Why there is no single certificate — and what there is instead

ADOSH-SF does not operate as a certification scheme where you apply, get audited, and receive a certificate from a central authority. It operates through Sector Regulatory Authorities (SRAs).

ADPHC maintains the framework, monitors implementation across the emirate, approves entities to be nominated or notified under it, and ensures that entities’ internal OSH management systems are reviewed and approved against ADOSH-SF requirements. But the day-to-day relationship — review, approval, inspection — runs through the regulatory authority for your sector.

Which means the answer to “how do I get an ADOSH certificate” begins with a different question: which Sector Regulatory Authority governs your activity? A construction contractor, a healthcare operator and an energy sector supplier do not follow the same route, and a provider who gives you a generic five-step process without asking that question is not giving you an answer.

What organisations usually mean by “OSHAD certificate” is one of:

• Approval of the entity’s OSH management system by its SRA
• Evidence of compliance requested during contractor prequalification
• A third-party compliance audit report demonstrating conformance to ADOSH-SF
• Individual OSH practitioner registration

They are four different things with four different routes.

What compliance actually requires

Regardless of sector, an ADOSH-SF compliant OSH management system needs:

• A documented OSH policy and management system aligned to the framework’s Elements
• Hazard identification and formal risk assessment
• Operational controls and emergency response arrangements
• Compliance with applicable Codes of Practice for your activities and hazards
• Competent, and where required registered, OSH personnel
• Incident reporting in the required format
• OSH performance monitoring and KPI reporting
• Internal audit and management review

The framework’s Codes of Practice are activity-specific — working at height, confined space, hazardous materials, occupational health screening and so on. Which apply depends on what you do, and this is where most implementations fall short: the management system is built generically and the applicable CoPs are never mapped.

New in 2026: practitioner registration under Qudorat

In April 2026, ADPHC announced a competency-based regulatory framework under the Qudorat Programme for the registration of occupational safety and health practitioners and service providers.

The shift is from qualification-based to competency-based assessment — verifying not only that a practitioner holds credentials but that they can demonstrate actual performance. If your OSH personnel need to be registered, or you engage OSH service providers, this changes what you should be checking. ADPHC’s announcement is here.

ADOSH-SF and ISO 45001

These are complementary, not alternatives, and neither satisfies the other.

ADOSH-SF is regulatory. It applies because you operate in Abu Dhabi. It is prescriptive in places — specific Codes of Practice, specific reporting formats, specific KPI submissions.

ISO 45001 is voluntary and international. It specifies how a management system should work without prescribing the safety practices themselves, and it is recognised outside Abu Dhabi, which is why it appears in tenders from multinational clients.

The practical relationship: an organisation with a functioning ISO 45001 system already produces most of the evidence ADOSH-SF review looks for — hazard identification, risk assessment, competence records, incident investigation, internal audit, management review. What it does not automatically produce is CoP-specific compliance and the framework’s particular reporting requirements.

Running both as one integrated system is normal and considerably less work than maintaining two. See our ISO 45001 certification guide.

Where organisations come unstuck

• Generic documentation. A management system that does not map to the Codes of Practice applicable to the actual work.
• Risk assessments written once. Prepared during implementation, never revised as sites and activities changed.
• Unclear SRA relationship. Not knowing which authority governs you, or what it expects and when.
• Contractor management. Your framework obligations extend to contractors on your sites. This is where large organisations most often have gaps.
• Reporting. KPI and incident reporting has a required format and cadence. Missing them is a common finding.

Common questions

Is it OSHAD or ADOSH? ADOSH-SF is the current acronym for the framework. OSHAD was the previous acronym and also the former name of the centre, now the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre (ADPHC). Both terms remain in wide use, including in older documents.

Who administers it? ADPHC maintains and monitors the framework. Sector Regulatory Authorities handle review, approval and inspection for entities in their sector.

Is compliance mandatory? ADOSH-SF is a regulatory framework, not a voluntary standard. Applicability and specific obligations depend on your sector and activities — confirm with your Sector Regulatory Authority rather than relying on a general answer.

Does ISO 45001 certification mean we are ADOSH-SF compliant? No. It provides much of the underlying evidence but does not cover Code of Practice compliance or the framework’s specific reporting requirements.

Can a third party audit us against ADOSH-SF? Yes. Third-party compliance audits are commonly used to check readiness before an SRA review, or to demonstrate compliance to a client during prequalification. We provide OSHAD third-party compliance audits.

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Request an ADOSH-SF compliance audit — tell us your sector and we will tell you which authority governs your activity and what a readiness audit would cover.