Launching in March 2018, now is the perfect time to review whether your current management system is compliant and decide whether you should adopt the new ISO 45001 standard. We will be hosting a seminar in March, to help you understand the requirements, benefits of the standard and what your next steps should be.
What is ISO 45001?
A new, voluntary standard developed by ISO (International Organization for Standardization), that provides organisations around the world with requirements for a management system and framework to proactively improve employee safety, reduce workplace risks and create better, safer working conditions.
Suitable for any organisation regardless of size, type or sector, all of ISO 45001’s requirements are intended to be integrated into an organisation’s own management processes.
Why introduce ISO 45001?
Every day, people die as a result of occupational accidents or work-related diseases, in fact there are more than 2.78 million deaths per year. ISO 45001 has been introduced to help improve safety and health management to tackle this global toll of failure.
In addition to saving lives, and preventing injury there are many business benefits. Good feelings about work have been linked with higher productivity, profitability and customer and worker loyalty. As well as reducing losses, it can help organisations to build reputation, resilience and results.
ISO 45001 has also been introduced as although OHSAS 18001 is well used, it’s not an international standard and doesn’t align with ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. We will be releasing a blog post later in this series regarding the key changes from OSHAS 18001 to ISO 45001.
How to prepare for ISO 45001
In preparation, make sure you obtain a copy of the new standard, read and understand the content of the separate clauses and the interaction between the clauses.
It is also advisable to;
- Identify sources of legal compliance
- Review the current hazards and risks
- Identify any areas for improvement.
Organisations should use this time to understand the requirements and fill any gaps. Organisations already certificated to OHSAS 18001 and seeking to migrate to ISO 45001 will hear from their certification auditors who will advise on next steps.
How RoSPA can help
RoSPA’s Occupational Health and Safety Policy Adviser, Karen McDonnell, and Head of Consultancy Nathan Davies were part of the BSI committee responsible for developing the new standard. As a result, we have a superb range of support services available.
We can:
- Carry out a gap analysis of where you are now and identify how to meet the requirements of ISO 45001
- Help you transition successfully from OHSAS 18001 to ISO 45001
- Audit your organisation using auditors with many years of experience to the requirements of the new standard
- Offer expert help and support.
Please visit RoSPA’s ISO 45001 webpage to find out more, alternatively register your interest for the seminar here.