Occupational Health and Safety Management System: What It Is and What You Need to Know

Did you know that around 2.8 million people die daily from work-related accidents or diseases?

That's more than 8,000 deaths per day! Thousands of people are injured at work each year. Workplace health and safety is a huge issue that needs to be addressed.

In this blog, we will discuss what an Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSMS) and why your business should implement one is. We'll also provide a few tips on how to get started!

How workplace safety has been handled so far:

There are various ways to manage workplace safety. In the past, many organizations relied on paper-based health and safety systems.

Important safety information was often scattered across different departments and locations. This made it difficult to track and manage safety data effectively.

With the rise of technology, many organizations have now moved to electronic health and safety management systems.

These systems help to centralize safety data and make it easier to track and manage.

BS 4477 was the first standard for occupational health and safety management systems. It was published in 1992 by British Standard Institution (BSI). 

BS 4477 was withdrawn in 1999 and replaced by OHSAS 18001. OHSAS 18001 was published by the Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series (OHSAS) Project Group in 1999.

What is ISO 45001?

ISO 45001 is the first international occupational health and safety management system standard.

It was developed by ISO, the International Organization for Standardization. ISO 45001 was published on March 12, 2018. 

The standard provides framework organizations can use to improve workplace health and safety.

ISO 45001 is an international standard that provides a framework for organizations to manage their occupational health and safety risks.

An OHSMS is a systematic approach to managing workplace health and safety. It includes policies, procedures, and processes for identifying, assessing, and controlling health and safety risks.

An effective OHSMS can help to mitigate the number of workplace accidents and injuries, as well as improve employee health and wellbeing.

The standard is based on the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle, a widely used approach to managing processes and quality.

ISO 45001 can be used by any organization, regardless of size or type. 

ISO 45001 has been structured to be compatible with other ISO management system standards, such as ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.

Organizations can implement ISO 45001 as part of a more comprehensive ISO management system. 

Which kind of organizations need to implement ISO 45001?

ISO 45001 is relevant to all organizations, regardless of size or type. The standard can be used by any organization that wants to improve its workplace health and safety performance.

Organizations of all sectors, such as manufacturing companies, traders, educational institutions, service providers, construction companies, mining, healthcare, and many more, can implement ISO 45001. 

Who enforces ISO 45001 implementation and Certification?

Organizations that implement ISO 45001 can choose to get certified by an external certification body. ISO 45001 Certification is voluntary.

However, some countries or regions may make ISO 45001 certification mandatory for specific organizations.

For example, in the European Union, ISO 45001 certification is required for all organizations with more than 50 employees involved in high-risk activities. 

How to get started with ISO 45001?

If you're thinking about implementing ISO 45001, there are a few things you need to do to get started.

1. Read the ISO 45001 standard to familiarize yourself with the requirements.

2. Identify the hazards and risks in your workplace that need to be addressed.

3. Policies, procedures, and processes to control these hazards and risks are put in place.

4. Train your employees on the ISO 45001 standard and your organization's OHSMS.

5. Implement ISO 45001 in your workplace.

6. Get certified by an external certification body, if desired.

How does ISO 45001 work to ensure Health and Safety?

ISO 45001 is based on the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle, a widely used approach to managing processes and quality.

The standard provides a framework for organizations to identify and control health and safety risks. It also includes requirements for setting up an OHSMS and training employees on the OHSMS. 

The OHSMS should include a policy on health and safety, as well as procedures and processes for implementing the policy.

The organization needs to train its employees on the OHSMS so that they are aware of the hazards and risks in the workplace and know how to control them.

This standard requires an organization to conduct a Hazard Analysis and Risk Assessment Study on all its activities.

The study should identify all the potential hazards that could lead to accidents or injuries. Once the hazards have been identified, the organization needs to implement controls to mitigate the risks.

The controls could be either engineering controls, such as installing safety guards on machinery, or administrative controls, such as developing safe work procedures. 

The organization also needs to establish an OHSMS to ensure that the controls are adequate and are being followed.

This study should be conducted in consultation and participation with interested parties such as employees, contractors, and suppliers. 

ISO 45001 also requires organizations to keep records of all accidents and incidents. These records should be used to identify trends and improve the OHSMS.

The standard also requires regular audits to ensure that the OHSMS is effective. 

Further, ISO 45001 also requires an organization to adhere to all local legal, statutory, and regulatory requirements related to health and safety. 

ISO 45001 also requires the organization to periodically review its OHSMS to ensure it effectively controls health and safety risks.

The review should identify any improvements which need to be made to the OHSMS. ISO 45001 is a dynamic standard that is regularly updated to keep up with changes in the workplace.

The latest version of the standard was published in 2018. 

Benefits gained by the Organization Implementing ISO 45001?

ISO 45001 can help your organization to improve its workplace health and safety performance.

The standard can also help you to reduce the number of accidents and injuries, as well as improve employee health and wellbeing.

Implementing ISO 45001 can also help you save money on insurance costs and improve your organization's performance.

In addition, ISO 45001 can help you to improve your organization's reputation and credibility. 

There are many benefits of implementing ISO 45001. These include:

- Reduced accidents and injuries

- Improved employee health and wellbeing

- Reduced insurance costs

- Improved organizational performance

- Enhanced reputation and brand image

- Improved compliance with health and safety legislation

ISO 45001 can help your organization to improve its workplace health and safety performance.

The standard can also help you to reduce the number of accidents and injuries, as well as improve employee health and wellbeing.

Implementing ISO 45001 can also help you save money on insurance costs and improve your organization's performance.

In addition, ISO 45001 can help to enhance your organization's reputation and brand image. 

About the ISO 45001 Certification process

The ISO 45001 certification process involves several steps. These include:

- Conducting a Gap Analysis

- Registering for the ISO 45001 Certification

- Appointing an ISO 45001 Lead Auditor

- Conducting the ISO 45001 Audit

- Obtaining ISO 45001 Certification 

Duration of ISO 45001 Certification?

Preparatory Phase:

The duration includes the preparation or implementation of ISO 45001.

This differs from organization to organization based on the size, competence of its personnel, resource availability, the number of locations it is implemented, and the culture and practices being followed. 

Certification Phase

Third-party Certification bodies conduct audit against ISO 45001 standard, if approached, which verifies the coverage and effectiveness of implementation per the ISO 45001 Standard requirement and provide a certificate generally valid for three years.

After three years, the organization must undergo a surveillance audit to ensure it is still compliant with the ISO 45001 standard. Accreditation bodies control such Certification bodies.

These bodies represent the country and are members of ISO. 

Frequency of ISO 45001 Audits?

After an organization has been certified to ISO 45001, it will need to undergo regular audits to ensure it is still compliant with the ISO 45001 standard.

These audits are generally conducted on an annual basis. However, the frequency of the ISO 45001 audits may be increased or decreased based on the previous audit results. 

Some of the myths around ISO 45001 Implementation:

ISO 45001 is too expensive to implement. This is not true. The cost of ISO 45001 implementation depends on the size and complexity of your organization.

However, the benefits of ISO 45001 far outweigh the cost of implementation. 

ISO 45001 is too time-consuming to implement. Again, this is not true. ISO 45001 can be implemented in weeks or months, depending on the size and complexity of your organization.

ISO 45001 is too challenging to implement. This is not true. ISO 45001 is a straightforward standard that any organization can quickly implement. 

ISO 45001 is only for large organizations. This is not true. ISO 45001 can be implemented by any organization, regardless of size. 

ISO 45001 will require us to make changes to our current operations. This is not necessarily true. ISO 45001 may require you to make some changes to your current operations,

but it will also allow you to improve your overall workplace health and safety performance. 

ISO 45001 is only for companies in high-risk industries. This is not true. ISO 45001 can be implemented by any organization, regardless of industry. 

ISO 45001 is only for companies in the European Union. This is not true. ISO 45001 can be implemented by any organization, regardless of location. 

Conclusion

ISO 45001 is a popular standard published by International Organization for Standardization (ISO) to address Workplace Health and Safety issues for interested parties.

The ISO 45001 certification process involves several steps, which include conducting a Gap Analysis, registering for the ISO 45001 Certification, appointing an ISO 45001 Lead Auditor, conducting the ISO 45001 Audit, and obtaining ISO 45001 Certification.

The duration of ISO 45001 certification includes the preparatory phase and the certification phase. The frequency of ISO 45001 audits is generally conducted on an annual basis.

However, the frequency of the ISO 45001 audits may be increased or decreased based on the previous audit results. 

ISO 45001 is a straightforward standard that any organization can quickly implement.

ISO 45001 may require you to make some changes to your current operations, but it will also allow you to improve your overall workplace health and safety performance.

ISO 45001 can be implemented by any organization, regardless of size, industry, or location. 

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