ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety

ISO 45001 is a standard that will help organizations to improve employee safety, reduce workplace risks and create better, safer working conditions, all over the world and understanding the needs and expectations of workers, other interested parties, workers, suppliers, subcontractors, clients and regulatory authorities.

The standard is based on OHSAS 18001, conventions and guidelines of the International Labour Organization including ILO OSH 2001, and national standards. It includes elements that are additional to BS OHSAS 18001 which it is replacing over a three-year migration period from 2018 to 2021.

ISO 45001 also follows the High Level Structure of other ISO standards like ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 which makes integration of these standards much easier.

 

Benefits of ISO 45001

  • Positions your business as industry leaders

By implementing the most up-to-date occupational health and safety standard, your organisation will be seen as an elite category of business, and be internationally recognised. It is a level of excellence that is acknowledged worldwide and will help to set you apart from your competitors.

  • Increases trust

By demonstrating that you are actively facilitating continuous improvement of your employees’ morale, safety and performance, it will enable people to trust you and hold you socially accountable for your staff’s well-being. Being transparent and promoting your corporate social responsibility efforts can have a huge impact on how the public, your future employees and prospective clients perceive your business.

  • Consistency means efficiency

ISO 45001 creates an organisation built around best practice. This is then mirrored across the company and sets a standard for managing risks. Having a strong, consistent standard means that the organisation is more efficient across the board.

  • Improves individual safety as well as organisational

ISO 45001 has been widely anticipated by the global business community because it addresses the personal health and safety risks to the individual of any process or use of machinery within an organisation. This relates both to their mental health and physical safety within your workplace.

  • Preventative risk and hazard assessment

Implementing ISO 45001 helps your organisation prevent risks as opposed to reacting to them once they are detected by others. The internal auditing system provides an ‘early warning system’ to help you spot potential threats to health and safety

 

Implementation and Certification: ISO 45001

Improve the safety and health of your employees by identifying and reducing the risks in your processes that can lead to injury.

Although certification to ISO 45001 is not a requirement, the implementation of the new standard is recommended for the operators, as it is a useful tool to demonstrate that the company meets these criteria. Operators who are already certified to OHSAS 18001, although it is a very different standard, they will be able to use some of the tools and systems they have already acquired from the previous standard, to implement the new.