ISO 45001
Since first published in 1999 and revised in 2007, OHSAS 18001 has been the internationally recognized occupational health and safety management system standard to which organizations can be assessed and certified. In March 2018 a new ISO standard, ISO 45001:2018, has been released to replace OHSAS 18001.
In the new standard there is a stronger focus on the “organization’s context”. Organizations will have to look beyond their own health and safety issues and consider what their community, government and stakeholders expect from them concerning health and safety issues.
Some organizations that use the OHSAS 18001 model delegate health and safety responsibilities to a safety manager, rather than integrating the system into the organization’s operations. ISO 45001 requires the incorporation of health and safety aspects in the overall management system of the organization, thus driving top management to have a stronger leadership role with respect to the OH&S management system.
ISO 45001 focuses on identifying and controlling risks rather than hazards, as it was required in OHSAS 18001. ISO 45001 also requires organizations to take into account how suppliers and contractors are managing their risks.
In ISO 45001 some fundamental concepts are changed, like risk, worker and workplace. There are also new definitions of terms such as: monitoring, measurement, effectiveness, OH&S performance and process.
The terms “document” and “record” have both been replaced with the term “documented information” in ISO 45001. The standard also states that documented information must be maintained to the extent necessary to have confidence that the processes have been carried out as planned.
In spite of these changes, the overall aim of ISO 45001 remains the same as OHSAS 18001, which is to reduce unacceptable risks and ensure the safety and wellbeing of everyone involved in an organization’s activities.
Benefits of ISO 45001 Certification?
ISO 45001 certification will help organizations:
- Manage their OH&S risks and improve their performance to help make people safer and healthier.
- Demonstrate they have a robust OH&S system in place and will recognize that they have achieved an international benchmark – which will boost their reputation to customers and employees alike.
- Ensure they have a robust system to comply with OH&S regulations.
- Benefit from Fewer accidents, less absenteeism, lower employee turnover rate, better morale.
- Benefit from reduced disruption to operations in terms of time and cost.
- More easily integrate ISO 45001 certification with ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and other standards that follow the new High-Level Structure found in Annex SL.
- Benefit from a stronger focus on the context of an organization. Organizations will need to consider the health and safety issues that directly impact them and also take into account the wider society and how their work may impact on the surrounding communities.
- Benefit from increased top management involvement and greater participation of workers in the development of policy and systems; the role of health and safety will no longer be the sole responsibility of the Health & Safety Manager.
The High-Level Structure for ISO 45001
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ISO 45001
Since first published in 1999 and revised in 2007, OHSAS 18001 has been the internationally recognized occupational health and safety management system standard to which organizations can be assessed and certified. In March 2018 a new ISO standard, ISO 45001:2018, has been released to replace OHSAS 18001.
In the new standard there is a stronger focus on the “organization’s context”. Organizations will have to look beyond their own health and safety issues and consider what their community, government and stakeholders expect from them concerning health and safety issues.
Some organizations that use the OHSAS 18001 model delegate health and safety responsibilities to a safety manager, rather than integrating the system into the organization’s operations. ISO 45001 requires the incorporation of health and safety aspects in the overall management system of the organization, thus driving top management to have a stronger leadership role with respect to the OH&S management system.
ISO 45001 focuses on identifying and controlling risks rather than hazards, as it was required in OHSAS 18001. ISO 45001 also requires organizations to take into account how suppliers and contractors are managing their risks.
In ISO 45001 some fundamental concepts are changed, like risk, worker and workplace. There are also new definitions of terms such as: monitoring, measurement, effectiveness, OH&S performance and process.
The terms “document” and “record” have both been replaced with the term “documented information” in ISO 45001. The standard also states that documented information must be maintained to the extent necessary to have confidence that the processes have been carried out as planned.
In spite of these changes, the overall aim of ISO 45001 remains the same as OHSAS 18001, which is to reduce unacceptable risks and ensure the safety and wellbeing of everyone involved in an organization’s activities.
Benefits of ISO 45001 Certification?
ISO 45001 certification will help organizations:
- Manage their OH&S risks and improve their performance to help make people safer and healthier.
- Demonstrate they have a robust OH&S system in place and will recognize that they have achieved an international benchmark – which will boost their reputation to customers and employees alike.
- Ensure they have a robust system to comply with OH&S regulations.
- Benefit from Fewer accidents, less absenteeism, lower employee turnover rate, better morale.
- Benefit from reduced disruption to operations in terms of time and cost.
- More easily integrate ISO 45001 certification with ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and other standards that follow the new High-Level Structure found in Annex SL.
- Benefit from a stronger focus on the context of an organization. Organizations will need to consider the health and safety issues that directly impact them and also take into account the wider society and how their work may impact on the surrounding communities.
- Benefit from increased top management involvement and greater participation of workers in the development of policy and systems; the role of health and safety will no longer be the sole responsibility of the Health & Safety Manager.
The High-Level Structure for ISO 45001