A new standard in occupational workplace health and safety has been published as of March 2018. This standard, ISO 45001:2018, will eventually replace OHSAS 18001 in three years time. The standard is a world’s first, and can work with an existing management system, such as an environmental management system, or a quality management system.
The very fact ISO 45001:2018 has been developed by ISO indicates this standard will have a holistic approach to developing health and safety systems. The standard provides a clear framework for businesses to develop a framework for workplace health & safety, which will be measurable and include checks to ensure the business is committed to continually improving their system. The focus, as with other management systems, is on leadership and shared responsibility for the development and the implementation of the standard. This system aligns with the other High-Level Structure standards which have been developed by ISO.
This means there are ten clauses in the standard, which are:
- Scope
- Normative references
- Terms and definitions
- Context of the organization
- Leadership
- Planning
- Support
- Operation
- Performance Evaluation
- Improvement
ISO 45001:2018 is now an internationally recognized standard for the management of health and safety in the work place. It is designed to provide structured, formal procedures for managing your companies health and safety responsibilities and help reduce the risks associated with health and safety at work. Demonstrating rigorous health and safety performance towards employees, shareholders and clients is of increasing concern to organizations of all types. Stringent legislation and developing economic and social policies have also resulted in an increasing requirement to demonstrate compliance. ISO 45001:2018 employs a framework to enable a thorough assessment of the risks involved in order to address the protection of employees and the general public. Adopting this standard is a recognized way of showing that health and safety is a priority within your business. It is fast becoming a necessity for any successful organization and is often a pre- requisite for companies wishing to tender for contracts within certain industry sectors.
The significant benefits in achieving ISO 45001:2018 registration include:
- Demonstrating that your company is operating with due diligence, good governance and is committed to health and safety in the work place
- Broadens your business opportunities.
- Provides potential clients assurance of you effective management procedures and regulatory compliance.
- Promotes a safer working environment by heightening adherence to you health and safety policies.
- Looks after your most valuable assets – Your employees.
- Reduced risk of accidents and lower staff absence
- Reduced risk of citations and penalties
- Policy-driven performance improvements
- Compliance with Health and Safety legislation
- Potential reduced insurance premiums
- Increased access to new customers through an improved corporate image and reputation
- Increased staff awareness of Health and Safety
Ideal Vision Consulting to design, document, implement and operate a simple Health and Safety management system that meets all the requirements of ISO 45001:2018.
We will design the system around your existing Health and Safety practices where ever possible, including the completion of risk assessments as necessary. We will help you to establish the necessary controls to ensure you are in compliance with relevant legislation, help you to identify the areas of your business which do not comply to the ISO 45001 standard, and redesign them with minimal disruption to your operation.
After the system has been implemented, we will recommend you for the initial audit visit from an external assessment body. We will then arrange for your system to be fully audited by one of our own auditors, and the final ISO 45001:2018 external assessments will take place within 3 months of the initial audit visit (depending upon the external certification body).