New public health law ensure safety for U.A.E employees

The upcoming public health law will ensure that good health and safety standards are set for employees in the workplace at all levels of service, health officials said on Tuesday.

Article 22 of the law - that is currently with the Cabinet for approval - will focus on health and safety of workers, including preventive treatments to improve their health, explained Dr Amin Hussein Al Amiri, assistant undersecretary for public policy and licensing at the Ministry of Health and Prevention.

The law will also upgrade the system of managing occupational safety, especially in regulating workplace injuries as well as managing risk assessment at the workplace.

Currently, the government bears the cost of treating 55 percent of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among workers in direct costs. Productivity in 45 percent of employees is affected due to illness and disease.

Dr Amiri said that five main points affect a worker's health, including physical factors such as temperature and humidity; chemical factors including fumes and poisonous gases; biological factors such as viruses, parasites, germs and infectious diseases - for which the government has introduced annual pre-screening tests. The other two factors include psychological and social effects such as accommodation matters and relation with employers; and mechanical factors such as safety and cleanliness of buildings.

"Though the government already is handling these issues, the upcoming law will put a particular focus on these points," said Dr Amiri.

Aisha Al Suwaidi, executive director of human resources policies at the federal authority for human resources (FAHR), said the authority developed a workplace and safety guide for workers in a period of three years based on international benchmarks. "The guide lists health and safety measures for employees for all nature of jobs," she said." We want a culture of zero hazards, incidents or accidents and increase the productivity of an individual's performance to the maximum which cannot be done without a proper setup," she added.

The FAHR has trained 60 certified specialists who are acting as change agents and educating companies and employees on these guidelines. The officials were attending a workshop organised by the health ministry as part of the World Occupational Health and Safety Day on Tuesday in collaboration with the Arab Labour Organisation, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation and the Federal Authority for Human Resources were also part of the event.

The workshop reviewed a legislation concerning the documentation of accidents and occupational diseases and effective mechanisms for data collection and analysis and systematic reporting. Dr Amiri said the government was developing laws and legislations to provide employees and workers with equal rights under the government's programme to attract skilled labour. Dr Amiri explained that both government and private establishments follow the national standards and guidelines adopted by the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority.

5 factors that affect a worker's health

• Physical factors such as temperature and humidity
• Chemical factors including fumes and poisonous gases
• Biological factors such as viruses, parasites, germs and infectious diseases
• Psychological and social effects such as accommodation matters and relation with employers
•  Mechanical factors such as safety and cleanliness of buildings

U.A.E Residence visa never cancelled automatically

A common question asked by most of the employees in U.A.E, the residence visa expire on the date mentioned in the visa require cancellation. It is very important to keep in mind that a residence visa can expire and become invalid in time, but never automatically cancelled.

 All visas should be properly cancelled even if someone is leaving the UAE or able to stay on a tourist visa. They will face problems when attempting to re-enter the country on a visit visa. If visa not properly cancelled it is  not possible to obtain a new residence visa . 

If an employer or sponsor has not dealt with this, an individual can go to any main office of the Immigration Department in the relevant emirate, or the one where the visa was issued, with a passport to request cancellation. The charges should amount to no more than Dh250 including typing fees. The Emirates ID card must be handed over when the visa is cancelled as part of the process, as the identity card is linked to the visa.

UAE introduces new rules for expat driving licences

Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior issued Ministerial Decree for the year 2017 amending the Implementing Regulations of the Federal Law for the year 1995 regarding traffic laws.

Under the new law, Emiratis will have to renew their driving license every 10 years and expats every five years.

Other than amendments to driver's licenses, the law also says that motorists are not allowed to drive a motorbike without proper license and permit. The same goes for electric scooters, tricycles and quad bikes.

The law emphasised that electric scooters or and quads are for entertainment purposes only and as such allowed only in the the desert - with proper licensing.

Driving licences can be obtained by adult UAE citizens/residents after training from an authorized driving school in Dubai. If you are 18-21 year of age, you can apply for a probationary licence.
Criteria
If you have never driven before or have a driving licence that is not on the approved list of 36 countries then you must undergo training.
Documents Required
Passport (original & copy) with residence stamp, No-Objection Certificate from employer & 8 photos.

Teachers in U.A.E require provisional teaching licence

Teachers with qualifications from selected countries will be given a provisional teaching licence that will be valid for between 12 and 18 months.

In that time they will have to pass one examination on professional and ethical conduct to qualify for a permanent licence. The multiple-choice test also measures the teachers’ knowledge of, and ability to teach, UAE culture, heritage and Islamic values.

Teachers from all other countries, including the UAE, must also apply for a provisional teaching licence but will have to pass four exams covering professional and ethical conduct, knowledge, practice and development before being given the permanent licence.

Licensed teachers, managers and principals from Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK, the US and South Africa can apply for a waiver from the Teacher and Educational Leadership Standards and Licensing programme.

 

The licensing system will be rolled out across the country simultaneously. But the Abu Dhabi Education Council, which runs public schools and regulates private schools in the emirate, and the Ministry of Education, which oversees public schools in Dubai and all schools in the Northern Emirates, have yet to announce how it will be applied.

 

Tests focused on other standards for school leadership were also developed.

The four professional standards are based on studies and practices already tested in several countries, including Australia, Canada, the US, England and New Zealand, according to the National Qualifications Authority.

"The benchmark helped to establish clear and measurable competencies that define teachers’ work," said Dr Thani Al Mehairi, the authority’s director general, who leads the national steering committee overseeing the licensing system.

Under each professional standard, there are 14 elements and 42 performance criteria in which teachers must show proficiency.

During the pilot phase of the licensing system, which recently concluded in Dubai, the four tests covering the four professional standards comprised 198 multiple-choice questions that participants were given 325 minutes to complete.

Those with a provisional licence will be given a mock examination first to prepare them for the real tests.

The results of Dubai’s version of the pilot phase are expected to be announced next month. It is not clear whether pilots launched by Abu Dhabi’s authority and the ministry have concluded, or how similar they are to the Dubai trial.

Those who pass the final exams will be given "competent teacher status", a government document that will serve as their legal permission to work.

The status is linked to their school, so each time a teacher changes schools it must be revised by the authorities.

Non-native English speakers must also score a band six or higher on the international English standards test. Arabic and Islamic studies teachers will also have their skills tested.

How the scheme works: The three stages of teacher licensing pilot

Stage 1 – Application for teacher licence

Teachers submit an application for a teacher licence. Those teachers who meet the initial requirements receive a provisional licence. An induction programme for teachers will provide further information on TELS evidence guide, methods of assessment, permissible evidence, self-assessment, mini-portfolio, training needs analysis and professional development training.

Stage 2 – Self-assessment and professional development

Teachers complete a self-assessment and identify training needs. Professional development training modules will be conducted and a mock exam will identify gaps in knowledge and understanding of individual teachers, following which, further professional training to continue.

Stage 3 – TELSUAE Exam and approval of Competent Teacher Status Licence

Successful completion of TELSUAE exam will provide ‘UAE Competent Teacher Status Licence’. This licence will allow teachers to teach in all schools in the UAE.