FEATURE TEST & CERTIFICATION ISO 45001
A new health and safety approach
ISO 45001 is an international standard that specifies requirements for an occupational health and safety (OH&S) management system, which is intended to improve the safety, health and wellbeing of both employees and other interested parties. In this article, David Goodfellow, UK business assurance manager at TÜV SÜD, considers how an OH&S management system benefits organisations, and provides an overview of the new ISO 45001 standard and how it differs from OHSAS 18001.
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SO 45001- Occupational health and safety management systems - is the first
international standard to provide a comprehensive framework for management systems addressing occupational health and safety (OH&S) issues. The standard sets out the requirements for an OH&S management system and includes an implementation guide. This enables organisations to proactively improve OH&S performance, as well as provide a safe and healthy working environment that prevents work-related injury and ill health. By providing a comprehensive management system targeted at mitigating negative effects of the physical, mental and cognitive condition of employees, contracted employees, leased personnel and visitors, ISO 45001 also assists an organisation to fulfil its legal requirements.
ISO 45001 VS OHSAS 18001 Although ISO 45001 is a completely new standard, its foundations already exist within OHSAS 18001. Companies that have already implemented an occupational health and safety management system in accordance with OHSAS 18001, and actively apply it in everyday company practice, can therefore expect a smooth transition to ISO 45001. Nevertheless, there are some fundamental
differences. While OHSAS 18001 focused on managing internal issues and OH&S hazards, ISO 45001 is based on the interaction between the organisation and its external business environment. Furthermore, ISO 45001 includes the consideration of opportunities, as opposed to the purely risk-based thinking of OHSAS 18001. On an overall level, the perception of OH&S has shifted from procedure-based to process-based thinking, thereby recognising workplace safety as a prerequisite for the long- term success of any organisation.
36 SUMMER 2021 | INDUSTRIAL COMPLIANCE / INDUSTRIALCOMPLIANCE
RISK CONTROL ISO 45001 is designed to place a proactive and preventative emphasis on risk control factors, by identifying and assessing the likelihood of hazards in the workplace. It can be implemented by any size of organisation in any industry, and can be integrated into other health and safety programmes. ISO 45001 certification formalises and documents a comprehensive and effectively implemented system, to prove that an organisation has taken appropriate measures to mitigate hazardous situations. ISO 45001 uses the ‘high level structure’
(HLS), so that it has a common framework with other management systems, such as ISO 9001 and ISO 1400, and can be integrated with other management systems, already in operation. This makes it easier for organisations to pool their certifications
within an integrated management system, delivering significant cost savings as it improves application, simplifies implementation and eliminates duplication.
ISO 45001 REQUIREMENTS ARE DESCRIBED IN SECTIONS 4 – 10.
Clause 4 – Context of the organisation ISO 45001 requires the organisation to identify the external and internal issues that will have an impact on the intended outcomes of the OH&S management system. At this stage, the scope of the OH&S management system must be agreed so that its boundaries are clear in terms of how far the system will apply, for example if it is part of a larger parent organisation.
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