Shebin Abraham, a seasoned Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) professional, marks an impressive 20+ year career filled with multinational exposure and a diverse range of industry experience. He has worked with world’s major OHS Management systems.
ISO 45001:2018 is the international standard for Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems and the primary certification benchmark for UAE and GCC organisations operating in regulated sectors including oil and gas, construction, and government contracting. Achieving ISO 45001 certification demonstrates to clients, regulators, and tender committees that an organisation’s safety management system meets a globally verified standard of design and implementation.
The ISO 45001 engagement begins with a structured gap analysis comparing the organisation's existing QHSE documentation, processes, and practices against the full requirements of ISO 45001:2018. The gap analysis output is a prioritised action plan that identifies compliance shortfalls, assigns ownership, sets timelines, and provides a realistic assessment of certification readiness.
For organisations with no existing OHSMS, the gap analysis establishes a baseline and informs the full implementation scope. For those with existing systems aligned to the older OHSAS 18001 standard, the gap analysis focuses specifically on the transition requirements introduced in ISO 45001 — particularly the expanded requirements for leadership commitment, worker participation, and context of the organisation.
Full OHSMS implementation covers policy development, hazard identification and risk assessment (HIRA) processes, legal and other requirements registers, objectives and programme planning, operational control documentation, emergency preparedness and response planning, incident investigation procedures, and internal audit programmes. All documentation is developed in compliance with ISO 45001 clause requirements and aligned to UAE Labour Law and relevant OSHAD-SF framework requirements.
Third-party ISO 45001 certification audit preparation includes a full pre-audit internal audit, corrective action implementation support, and management review facilitation. On-site support is available during the certification body Stage 1 and Stage 2 audits, with post-audit corrective action management and surveillance audit preparation included in certification support packages.
ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management System certification is increasingly required for UAE and GCC organisations operating in sectors with significant environmental impact — particularly construction, oil and gas, manufacturing, and logistics. Abu Dhabi EAD, Dubai Municipality, and Sharjah EPA each maintain regulatory requirements that align to or exceed ISO 14001 standards, making formal EMS implementation both a regulatory obligation and a competitive advantage in tender processes.
Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) are conducted in accordance with UAE Federal Law No. 24 of 1999 on the Protection and Development of the Environment and the specific requirements of the relevant UAE emirate authority. EIA scope covers identification of significant environmental aspects, assessment of potential impacts on air, water, soil, and biodiversity, evaluation of existing controls, and specification of additional mitigation measures.
Waste management planning covers waste stream identification, segregation protocols, licensed contractor management, manifesting and documentation requirements, and performance monitoring. Pollution prevention plans address spillage response, chemical storage compliance, effluent management, and air emissions monitoring — aligned to UAE Federal Environment Agency and emirate-level regulatory requirements.
A current legal compliance register is a mandatory element of both ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 management systems and a frequent finding in regulatory inspections across UAE. The register is developed against current UAE Federal legislation, emirate-specific regulations, and applicable international standards, with a structured review cycle to capture regulatory changes as they are issued by OSHAD, EAD, Dubai Municipality, and other competent authorities.
HSE audits and site inspections provide independent verification of management system implementation and regulatory compliance status — giving leadership teams, project managers, and board-level stakeholders objective evidence of safety performance across UAE and GCC operations.
Scheduled site inspections are conducted against defined inspection protocols covering physical condition, equipment compliance, housekeeping standards, permit-to-work implementation, PPE compliance, emergency equipment readiness, and subcontractor management. Inspection reports are issued within 48 hours, with a photographic evidence log, non-conformance register, and corrective action tracking system.
Management system audits evaluate the design, implementation, and effectiveness of the organisation’s QHSE management system against ISO 45001, ISO 14001, ISO 9001, OSHAD-SF, or TRAKHEES requirements. Audit findings are categorised by severity, root causes are identified, and corrective action plans are developed in collaboration with the client management team to ensure that audit findings produce genuine system improvement rather than paper compliance.
Incident reporting compliance covers UAE Federal Labour Law No. 8 of 1980 (as amended), MOHRE notification requirements, OSHAD-SF incident reporting obligations, and — for organisations with UK regulatory exposure — RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations) compliance. Documentation of all reportable incidents, near-misses, and dangerous occurrences is managed in accordance with regulatory timescales and statutory requirements.
Risk assessment is the technical core of effective QHSE management — the process that translates hazard identification into prioritised, proportionate controls. Shebin Abraham’s risk assessment services cover the full range of methodologies used in UAE and GCC industry, from qualitative assessments for routine operations to quantitative risk analysis for high-consequence process and offshore environments.
Qualitative risk assessments use likelihood-consequence matrices calibrated to the organisation’s risk tolerance and regulatory context, producing risk registers that are both technically rigorous and operationally useful. Quantitative risk assessments apply numerical probability and consequence data to produce risk profiles suitable for regulatory submissions, insurance assessments, and major hazard analysis in oil and gas and offshore environments.
HAZID (Hazard Identification) studies provide a structured, multi-disciplinary review of potential hazards at the concept or early design stage — before design decisions become operationally embedded and prohibitively expensive to change. HAZOP (Hazard and Operability) studies are the industry standard for detailed process hazard analysis in oil and gas, chemical processing, and utility operations — identifying deviations from design intent and evaluating consequences.
Job Safety Analysis (JSA) and Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS) are produced for routine and non-routine tasks across construction, maintenance, and operational environments — particularly relevant for permit-to-work systems where formal task risk assessment is a mandatory prerequisite for work authorisation.
Bow-Tie risk analysis provides a visual representation of the relationship between a hazard, its potential causes (threats), the critical event, and its potential consequences — alongside the preventive barriers that prevent the critical event and the mitigating barriers that reduce consequence severity. This methodology is particularly valued by oil and gas, offshore, and high-hazard chemical processing clients for major accident hazard analysis and process safety management.
When incidents occur — despite best efforts at prevention — the quality of the investigation determines whether the organisation learns and improves, or simply documents and repeats. Shebin Abraham’s incident investigation service provides organisations with independent, methodologically rigorous investigations that identify true root causes rather than proximate factors, and produce recommendations that actually reduce recurrence probability.
Post-incident regulatory notification is time-critical and complex in UAE’s multi-authority regulatory environment. Simultaneous reporting obligations to MOHRE, OSHAD, TRAKHEES, or Abu Dhabi EAD — depending on the nature of the incident and the jurisdiction — require accurate documentation prepared by someone with direct knowledge of each authority’s requirements and timescales. Failure to notify correctly exposes organisations to regulatory sanctions independent of any findings arising from the incident itself.
The Abu Dhabi Occupational Safety and Health System Framework (OSHAD-SF) Version 3.1 is the primary regulatory framework governing occupational health and safety management for organisations operating in Abu Dhabi. Compliance requires implementation of a formal OHSMS, annual performance reporting, approved contractor management, and regulatory liaison with the Abu Dhabi Public Health Authority.
Regulatory liaison services cover formal communications with OSHAD, TRAKHEES (the regulatory authority for Dubai free zones), and Abu Dhabi EAD on behalf of client organisations — including licence applications, annual compliance submissions, inspection preparation, non-conformance responses, and variance or exemption applications. Understanding the regulatory culture and expectations of each authority is as important as technical compliance in UAE’s relationship-driven regulatory environment.
NEBOSH International General Certificate (IGC) and NEBOSH International Diploma (IDIP) preparation programmes are delivered for HSE professionals seeking the most recognised qualification benchmarks in UAE and GCC industry. IOSH Managing Safely and IOSH Working Safely programmes are available for supervisors, managers, and workforce members who require structured safety awareness training aligned to IOSH standards.
Bespoke safety training programmes are developed for organisations with specific operational requirements — covering topics including confined space entry, working at height, hot work permits, scaffolding safety, manual handling, chemical handling, fire safety, and emergency response — all contextualised for UAE and GCC industry environments and delivered in English with Arabic-language support materials.
Toolbox talk libraries covering the most common high-risk activities in UAE construction and industrial environments are available for client teams to deliver and adapt. Permit-to-work system design, implementation, and workforce training — covering hot work, confined space, working at height, electrical isolation, and excavation permits — is available as a standalone service or as part of an integrated OHSMS implementation project.
Site safety induction programmes are developed for client-specific site and operational contexts, covering emergency procedures, site rules, hazard communication, PPE requirements, and reporting channels — with multilingual delivery options (English, Arabic, Urdu, Hindi, Malayalam) for GCC construction workforces.
ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System implementation is available as a standalone service or integrated with ISO 45001 and ISO 14001 as part of an Integrated Management System (IMS) programme. QMS implementation covers quality policy and objectives development, process mapping and documentation, customer focus and satisfaction measurement, supplier evaluation and management, corrective action and non-conformance management, and management review facilitation.