OSHAD / ADOSH Audit

Entities operating in Abu Dhabi fall under the OSHAD / ADOSH System Framework, administered through Sector Regulatory Authorities. The framework sets requirements for occupational safety and health management systems, risk management and performance reporting, and it remains the reference point written into contracts by government entities, ADNOC group companies and major contractors operating in the emirate.

What the audit covers

• Roles and responsibilitiesWhether OSH accountabilities are defined, assigned and understood at each level, including the entity's self-regulation arrangements.
• Risk managementHazard identification and risk assessment across activities, the adequacy of controls, and whether assessments are current and used rather than filed.
• Contractor managementSelection, approval, induction and monitoring of contractors, and how their OSH performance is verified rather than assumed.
• Communication and consultationArrangements for consulting the workforce, and evidence that consultation actually occurs.
• Training and competenceCompetence requirements by role, training delivery and records, and verification that competence is held rather than claimed.
• Emergency managementIdentified scenarios, response arrangements, resources and the record of drills conducted.
• Monitoring, investigation and reportingInspection regimes, incident reporting and investigation to cause, and performance data reported to the regulatory authority.
• Audit and inspectionThe entity's own internal audit programme, its coverage and independence, and follow-up on findings.
• Compliance and management reviewEvaluation of compliance obligations and evidence that senior management reviews performance and acts on it.

How the audit is conducted

ITMAD audits against the OSHAD-SF elements and the codes of practice applicable to your activities, examining documented arrangements, sampling records, inspecting the workplace, and interviewing personnel at the levels where requirements are actually met. Where the entity relies on contractors, their arrangements are examined as part of the same audit — contractor control is the element that most often fails on evidence rather than on paper.

Why entities commission it

• Preparing for Sector Regulatory Authority assessment, finding gaps before the regulator does
• Demonstrating capability to clients in Muharraq during pre-qualification or tender
• Meeting a contractual requirement where a client specifies OSHAD-aligned arrangements
• Verifying that contractors working on your site meet the standard you are accountable for
• Internal assurance where the entity operates across several sites or activities
• Following an incident, enforcement contact or regulatory finding

What you receive

• A report stating conformity or gap against each applicable element, with evidence recorded
• Findings classified by severity, separating regulatory exposure from improvement opportunity
• The specific element or code of practice reference for each finding
• Photographic evidence where a physical condition is the finding
• Prioritised actions, so the significant gaps are closed first
• Follow-up verification of corrective action, where included in scope

Relationship to ISO 45001

An OSHAD audit is not a certification audit and produces no certificate. Where an entity also holds or seeks ISO 45001 certification, the two overlap substantially on hazard identification, competence, emergency arrangements and incident investigation — but OSHAD-SF adds emirate-specific requirements that ISO 45001 does not address. Note that where ITMAD holds your ISO 45001 certification, we will not conduct audits of that certified management system in any other capacity.

Auditors

Audits are planned and conducted following the principles of ISO 19011, which governs auditor competence, the evidence-based approach and impartiality. ITMAD is accredited to ISO/IEC 17020 as an inspection body and ISO/IEC 17021 as a certification body, is an ADNOC approved contractor, and is listed on the Abu Dhabi City Municipality register of Approved Third Party Inspection Bodies. Auditors are experienced in the sectors they audit, because recognising an inadequate control requires knowing how the work is actually done.