OHSAS 18001 to 45001 Migration

The occupational health and safety standard goes global and its not just the number that's got bigger as Simon Parkinson managing partner at HPA explains.

"ISO 45001 the international occupational health and safety standard was published on the 12th March 2018 and a raft of large companies in the contracting and facilities management sectors already have their certificates - some within days of publication but how that was achieved is a topic for another blog!

I don't think anyone other than the totally unscrupulous employer would disagree that improving safety and general wellness at work is a good thing and there's plenty of evidence to back up the business benefits of a happier more productive workforce. In addition to that particular carrot, there is the stick provided by the serious consequences of failing to manage things properly - in the worst cases serious injury or death leading to prosecution and even the downfall of your business.

So how can ISO 45001 help your business and what are the differences between 45001 and OHSAS 18001?

Although OHSAS 18001 fairly comprehensively covered the basics of occupational health and safety management, 45001 takes things to a new level.

Firstly ISO 45001 applies a much more strategic approach.  For a start it insists on much greater involvement at the highest management levels forcing senior leaders to consider the strategic importance of health and safety management. It does this by looking at both the risks and opportunities to the organisation as a whole from the way occupational health and safety is managed. This is designed to move health and safety from a box ticking exercise buried in an organisational silo to a key component of running a healthy (in every sense of the word) business.

By understanding how occupational health and safety can have a positive or negative impact within the context of your organisation and its relationships with all of its stakeholders, senior management can drive improvement that brings real business benefits - improved productivity, public image and lower costs among others.

Improved consultation and communication are also key developments. Worker consultation  for instance is built into the standard to get a broad, balanced and informed view of workers health needs as well as the risks and opportunities for improvement.

In common with the latest ISO management system standards, measurement and review requirements are beefed up too - this helps drive the (Plan Do Check Act) continuous improvement cycle.

In summary, a well implemented and applied ISO 45001 occupational health and safety management system will not only tick the boxes for managing a safe working environment, it can help you to build a better, stronger business.

HPA helps companies to implement and maximise the benefits from ISO Management System standards. To find out more about how implementing management systems can help build trust and grow your business please contact us or call 01477 549 116