ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety Management System

This standard is designed to greatly assist organisations of any size in creating and maintaining a safe working environment for their employees.

About ISO 45001 OH&S Management System

ISO 45001 is the newest Occupational Health and Safety Management System standard and is aligned with both ISO 9001 (Quality Management) and ISO 14001 (Environment Management), and has replaced OHSAS 18001 and AS/NZS 4801.

The framework upon which the standard is built is designed to greatly assist organisations of any size in creating and maintaining a safe working environment for their employees. It focuses on implementing the controls that prevent serious physical and mental injury and workplace deaths.

“People die as a result of workplace accidents, injuries or diseases. There are over 2.78 million deaths per year and some 374 million non-fatal work related injuries. The human cost of this daily adversity is vast and the economic burden of poor occupational safety and health practices is estimated at %3.94 of global Gross Domestic Product each year.”

– International Labour Organisation (ILO)

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Focus of the ISO 45001

When an organisation implements ISO 45001, they are able to:

  • Adopt one system across multiple sites and countries
  • Align their processes with other standards that have been implemented
  • Ensure all levels of personnel are actively participating in, and responsible for, a safe workplace
  • Enhance their business credentials with certified evidence of their commitment to the safety of their employees

Benefits of ISO 45001

  • Ensuring an organisational focus on legal & regulatory compliance
  • Reduce injury and therefore the associated costs to the individual and the organisation
  • Increase operational efficiencies due to decreased employee injuries and time-off
  • Reduce insurance premiums (due to reduction in claims)
  • Promote, internally and externally, the organisation’s commitment to a safe work environment
  • Promote a system that is internationally recognised and benchmarked

Certification Process

Certification involves GCC assessing your organisation in order to ascertain that management systems meet the requirements of one or more recognised standards. Becoming certified to a nationally or internationally recognised standard is of great benefit to an organization. It improves overall performance, builds confidence within stakeholder groups and broadens the scope of new opportunity.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is ISO 45001?

ISO 45001 is the internationally recognised standard for Occupational Health and Safety. It is intended to ensure that both your employees and any visitors you may receive are adequately protected from the risks present in your business premises. These risks will of course differ from one organisation to another — the potential for accidents in an industrial environment is normally greater than it is in an office environment. Nevertheless, ISO 45001 recognises the importance of occupational health and safety in all types of commercial environments and its goal is to ensure that all risks are effectively mitigated.

ISO 45001 has been developed to ensure management and employees at all levels actively participate in Occupational Health and Safety. This will ensure a safer workplace and reduce the risk to people’s safety. In fact, successfully managing health and safety risks not only prevents injury, ill health, and death, it supports businesses and communities as well. ISO 45001 uses a systems approach which supports companies to achieve this.
For an OHS system to be effective and efficient, everyone in the company must believe that he/she shares some responsibility and support for maintaining a safe environment. This includes employees all the way up to the top management and directors. Company-wide engagement is one of the key focuses of ISO 45001 standard. ISO 45001 also recognizes the value of worker consultation in the development of better OHS practices and emphasizes on employees actively participating in the development, planning, implementation, and continual improvement of the OHS systems.
ISO 45001 requires an ongoing assessment of risks and opportunities which use a risk-based framework similar to Plan-Do-Check-Act model. This model, if implemented effectively, can manage OHS risks and can significantly reduce/prevent accidents, health issues and lost time injuries.

What are the requirements of the ISO 45001 2018 standard?

In common with all ISO standards, there is a 10-clause format that covers all the requirements of ISO 45001 2018. The main requirement is to have an effective occupational health and safety system in place that uses a risk-based approach to anticipate and take proactive measures to mitigate all potential risks in the workplace. This system must state how OH&S standards apply to your organisation, including a definition of all internal and external factors that may have a bearing on the safety of personnel in your premises. It should also include details of the roles and responsibilities assigned to teams and individuals in your organisation specifically as they apply to OH&S in the workplace. Other areas covered by the standard include the planning, support, operational control, performance evaluation and potential for improvement of your OH&S system.

How long does it take to get ISO 45001 certified?

The amount of time it takes to become ISO 45001 certified will depend on a number of factors. The size and complexity of your organisation, the resources you are willing and able to dedicate to the achievement of this goal and the priority it is given will play a role in the time taken. With our expert certification services, it may take as little as 45 days to complete all the necessary steps but the total time could be longer if any complications are encountered. What we can tell you is that all such complications will be handled in the most efficient manner possible by our team, speeding up the process considerably. For details of how we can help please call whenever convenient. And for more information about our approach to ISO certification and training, see here.

Why should my organisation obtain ISO 45001 certification?

In addition to the benefits listed above, ISO 45001 certification will prove to potential customers and business partners that your organisation takes the health and safety of its employees and visitors very seriously. More importantly, it will demonstrate that you have taken effective steps to protect your workforce from the risks to which they may be exposed.

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