What demolition safety rules apply in the UAE?
Administrative Decision No. 19 of 2023 requires demolition to start from the upper levels, an engineer to be present throughout where adjacent structures may be compromised and to specify their support, and rubble never to be thrown from above. Rubble must come down by crane or through fenced chutes, with the collection area also fenced.
On this page
Fit-out strip-outs
The same principles apply to internal strip-out on occupied buildings: controlled removal of debris, protection of areas below, and fencing of the collection point.
Records
The employer must keep OSH records, including risk descriptions, inspections, permits and incident reports, available for inspection on request.
Where SupaJack Construct fits
SupaJack Construct does not include a safety or incident module. Inspection records with dates and attached documents sit with each project, and HR records hold each worker's documents, which a safety officer can use alongside a dedicated safety system.
Related tools and guides
See the answers on what counts as grave danger, the midday break, work injury compensation, who pays for injury treatment, leaving company accommodation and written work rules, plus the UAE labour law guide for contractors and quality and handover in SupaJack Construct.
Worked example
A contractor demolishes a three-storey building next to an occupied villa. It starts with the roof, keeps a structural engineer on site who specifies propping for the villa's boundary wall, and lowers rubble through a fenced chute into a fenced skip area.
Questions people ask
Where does demolition start?
From the upper levels.
When must an engineer be present?
Where adjacent structures may be compromised.
Can rubble be thrown from upper floors?
No.