Intercert Egypt provide occupational health and safety Management System – ISO 45001 certification, ISO 45001:2018 is an international standard by ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) used by organizations that want to reduce /manage the risks related to occupational health and safety at workplace by implementation and certification of occupational health and safety management system.
In any organization, employees and other stakeholders may be exposed to occupational health and safety risks associated with its activities/processes. ISO 45001 provides framework to assess, monitor& effectively manage the risks, so that the organization can improve performance, promote safety and healthy workplace to ensure a safe working environment, compliance and maintaining a good reputation, and a culture of prevention among employees.
The purpose of an OH&S management system is to provide a framework for managing OH&S risks and opportunities. The aim and intended outcomes of the OH & S management system are to prevent work related injury and ill health to workers and to provide safe & healthy workplaces; consequently, it is critically important for the organization to eliminate hazards and minimize OH&S risks by taking effective preventive and protective measures.
The benefits of ISO 45001 Certification are:
- Endorse Organization commitment on Occupational Health & Safety by effective OHSAS management system
- Increased customer confidence, the community, employees and the Authorities
- International Recognition of Certification improve organisation image and reputation
- Advantage over business competitors
- Ensures transparency and effectiveness of occupational health and safety management by translating the results of risk assessments, audits, inspections, etc. action plans to minimize the risk of accidents and reduce working costs by the number of days of sick leave due to accidents and illness of employees.
- Helps in identification of hazards that may result from subcontracting activities or in relationships with suppliers, customers and taking appropriate measures to protect them
- Build trust among legal authorities on compliance with applicable legislation;
Brief History of ISO 45001:
The British Standard OHSAS 18001:2007 (Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series) was replaced by the ISO 45001:2018 OHSMS (Occupational Health and Safety Management System) in March 2018. Although adopted in several countries, the OHSAS 18001 did not gain worldwide recognition.
In order to achieve an effective occupational health and safety management system, the ISO 45001 was proposed and developed in October 2013. An estimate of 70 countries worked on the draft. Up until 2017, the ISO 45001 Standard did not gain much ground nor make a satisfactory headway. However, in 2018, a revised draft was approved and published by the ISO.
Unlike the OHSAS, the ISO 45001 Standard does not just eliminate work-related threats, but eliminates future hazards and creates opportunities to improve overall health and safety at work. It simply provides the framework for an effective OHSMS as desired. In this article, we will discuss the ISO 45001:2018 Occupational Health and Safety Management System Principles to help you understand the purpose of the ISO 45001 OHSMS and how they can impact your work/career.
ISO 45001:2018 Occupational Health and Safety Management System Principles:
The ISO 45001 Standard is based on the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle which provides a layout for an organization to assess its OHSMS performance. Based on the ISO 45001:2018 Occupational Health and Safety Management System Principles, the Plan-Do-Check-Act concept is used by organizations to plan and implement what is required to eliminate OHSMS risks and damages thereby ensuring continual improvement.
Plan: review and assess OH&S risks and opportunities, establish OH&S aims and objectives and means of achieving set result
Do: follow through by implementing the processes planned, and ensure everyone understands their roles and responsibilities in implementing the processes
Check: monitor and measure activities, and review the effectiveness of the processes established in achieving the set objectives
Act: report findings and take actions that would instigate continuous improvement aimed at achieving intended results
Goals of Occupational Health and Safety Management System:
- Identify occupational health and safety hazards,
- Minimize OHSMS associated risks and/or totally eliminate them,
- State clear goals for occupational health and safety performance,
- Define ISO 45001:2018 occupational health and safety management system principles,
- Establish procedures for an effective occupational health and safety management system,
- Review and reporting OHSMS performance results for continuous improvement
ISO 45001:2018 OHSMS Auditing:
For an organization to know their occupational health and safety status, they would need the service of an ISO 45001:2018 Lead Auditor who has attended the ISO 45001 Lead Auditor training course and holds a certificate of achievement to his name to validate his learning and skills. He/she would audit their organization against the ISO 45001 OHSMS Standards. The ISO 45001 Lead Auditor will develop an audit plan, communicate the audit plan and requirements to the audit team, record the findings of the audit, and submit a comprehensive audit report which identifies compliance or non-compliance issues (if any), and recommends a corrective course of action.
Conclusion – ISO 45001:2018 OHSMS Principles:
The ISO 45001:2018 Occupational Health and Safety Management System Principles provide an understanding of the purpose and benefits of hazard control, risk management, and elimination to businesses both large and small. The ISO 45001:2018 occupational health and safety management system principles enable an organization to maintain an effective OHSMS.
The ISO 45001 Lead Auditor is responsible for auditing an organization against the ISO 45001 Standards and determining whether or not they meet the ISO 45001 OHSMS requirements.
To become an ISO 45001 Lead Auditor, you are required to attend the 40-hours ISO 45001 lead auditor training and pass both the continuous assessment and final examination to receive a certificate of achievement. Doing this will increase your earning potential, and make you a trusted professional in the OHSMS field.