A formal management system can help businesses ensure a safe and healthy workplace by providing a structured framework to follow. Most businesses follow the HSE Plan, Do, Check, Act (PDCA) system, recommended by the HSE through HSG65. However, some high-risk businesses require more stringent control around health and safety.
ISO 45001 is an international standard, setting a framework for the management of occupational health and safety across the globe. Keep reading to learn more about the standards, benefits and implementation of ISO 45001.
What are the ISO 45001 standards?
BS ISO 45001 is an ISO standard for occupational health and safety management systems. The standard follows other ISO standards and is based around annex XL, so can be integrated with other ISO management systems as required.
Being based around the ISO framework, ISO 45001 puts leadership and worker participation at the core of its framework; this is used alongside continual improvement and risk-based thinking set within the organisational context to form a stringent system for managing health and safety.
Who needs ISO 45001 certification?
ISO 45001 provides a best practice framework for managing health and safety. Businesses who work in particularly high-risk industries, such as construction, demolition or Oil and Gas may benefit from adopting this standard.
By working to ISO 45001, organisations are likely to profit from all the benefits of a well-run health and safety management system. The primary obvious gain is fewer work-related accidents and less worker ill health.
However, there are a great number of hidden benefits, such as greater efficiencies, reduced insurance premiums, avoidance of fines/enforcement action, improved worker wellbeing and morale and finally enhancement of reputation.
How do you implement ISO 45001 in an organisation?
Given leadership is at the heart of ISO45001, commitment from senior management to demonstrate leadership in achieving the certification is key.
Management must understand the basic requirements of the standard and demonstrate a willingness by allocating sufficient time and resources whilst setting the culture throughout the organisation.
An external certification body should be chosen and an audit programme will be set up, with dates chosen for external auditors to assess your businesses compliance to the standard.
WA Management can assist throughout this whole process from inception to final certification audit. We can support with internal auditing, creation of management manual, and representation support during external audit.
How can WA Management help?
WA Management can fully support ISO 45001 certification, helping you to implement and maintain your system continuously. Get in touch to find out how we can help!
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