A new regulation tightening up the requirements for workers in high-risk occupations such as construction comes into effect on 3 July in Saudi Arabia
The regulation on Organising Work in High-risk Professions establishes an integrated system for licensing and accreditation for individuals and establishments working in occupational safety and health, defining the standards that need to be met, with the aim of ensuring the quality of services, and raising the competence of practitioners and specialised establishments.
In an insight article posted on law firm Pinsent Masons website, it noted that the regulation is highly relevant to employers operating in sectors where work involves elevated safety risks – such as construction, heavy equipment operations, welding, cutting, and mechanical work. (According to General Authority for Statistics Health and Safety at Workplace Statistics 2025, the leading cause of occupational injury in the Kingdom is exposure to mechanical forces). It raises the bar for workplace safety and compliance, the law firm commented.
The regulation provides a framework for the classification of certain occupations as ‘high-risk’, and associated obligations on both employers where employees and workers fall into that category, the article noted. Obligations also fall on individual employees and workers where they are considered to perform a high-risk role.
Employer obligations
Each employer is responsible for determining whether their employees or workers are undertaking “high-risk profession activities”, which is a broad concept, the paper added. For example it could include work at height or in confined spaces; working under high temperatures or sunlight; involved in manual lifting and transportation of loads; moving vehicles or equipment; dealing with noise, heat or vibrations; involved in welding or cutting; dealing with chemicals, radiation or medical waste; or working in remote isolation from other people and “vital” facilities. Other factors also need to be taken into account, ranging from the type, method and duration of their exposure to materials or factors to the number of fatalities and accidents associated with the role.
The regulation also covers medical fitness for those employees in high-risk occupations, with employers required to ensure that both existing and new employees undergo medical training and examinations. Employees and workers will be required to pass medical fitness examinations to obtain a licence enabling them to perform a high-risk role, and employers have a duty to avoid tasks in high-risk professions being assigned to individuals where they do not have the necessary licence in place. In some cases specialist training will need to be undertaken to perform certain roles.
Other obligations on employers include the requirements to notify hazards that may affect the safety and health of workers or employee during the performance of their work, and to investigate and report workplace accidents.
“The introduction of the new regulation marks a decisive shift in how employers must manage safety critical roles,” said Dr. Sairah Narmah-Alqasim of Pinsent Masons. “It represents a structural change in the labour market that will require organisations to rethink how they recruit, train, and supervise workers in high risk environments.”
Sadia Farooq, also of Pinsent Masons, added that the regulation raises expectations for both employers and service providers, and it will quickly expose gaps in existing workforce capabilities.
Also this year, the Regulation for Occupational Fitness Examinations and Non-Communicable Diseases Examinations came into effect, requiring employers to implement mandatory fitness examinations for workers to ensure they can safety perform their roles. Covering physical, mental and psychological fitness, they go beyond traditional pre-employment medical checks by incorporating a holistic approach that includes mental and psychological wellbeing.
The new regulations reflect the onward drive to raise standards and strengthen the culture of occupational safety and health, supporting the targets of Saudi Vision 2030 to improve workforce wellbeing, modernise labour practices, raise productivity and protect lives and property.
