Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the international sustainability reporting organization, issued revised occupational health and safety standard GRI 403 on June 28, 2018. The new standard aligns with key international instruments from the International Labour Organization (ILO) and with ISO 45001. GRI 403: Occupational Health and Safety sets out reporting requirements on the topic of occupational health and safety, including emphasis on identification of hazards and assessment of risks, the application of hierarchy of controls, and improved methodologies for measuring and reporting work-related injuries and ill health. The Standard can be used by an organization of any size, type, sector or geographic location that wants to report on its impacts related to this topic. The Standard is effective for reports or other materials published on or after January 1, 2021, although earlier adoption is encouraged.
 
Additional information: https://www.globalreporting.org/standards/media/1910/gri-403-occupational-health-and-safety-2018.pdf.  

The Ministry of Climate Change and the Environment has launched the National Electronic Waste Database to collect information on, and classify, all types of waste generated in the UAE. The system will provide data on non-hazardous waste and hazardous waste, including medical waste, industrial waste, animal waste, and more. The system will also track methods and rates of treatment and present monthly and annual dynamic reports.
 
Additional information:
https://www.moccae.gov.ae/ar/media-center/news/7/7/2018/ministry-of-climate-change-and-environment-launches-national-waste-database.aspx.

On July 1, 2018, a new Executive Order on limit values ​​for substances and materials (the limit value order) was issued. The reason for the Executive Order is that an EU directive (2017/164 / EU) has been issued with limit values ​​for 31 chemical substances and materials at work.
 
The directive has the following consequences:
 

• For 20 of the chemical substances, the directive sets lower limit values ​​than the Danish. This means that the Danish limit values ​​must be reduced accordingly.
• For six of the chemical substances, the directive's limit values ​​are in line with the Danish.
• For five of the chemical substances, the directive sets a higher limit value than the Danish. For these substances, the lower Danish limit values ​​are maintained.

 
The new limit values ​​are not expected to have business or administrative consequences. When companies comply with the already existing occupational safety requirements, it will also be sufficient to comply with the new limit values.