January 2nd, 2020
ISO has developed a standard that will help organizations to improve employee safety, reduce workplace risks and create better, safer working conditions, all over the world. –www.iso.org
Developed by a panel of experts in occupational health and safety, ISO 45001:2018 helps organizations prevent work-related injuries, illnesses and fatalities and create a culture of health and safety. Following are some of the reasons every organization should consider this standard, which updates, upgrades and replaces OHSAS 18001.
A potential lifesaver In addition to helping to reduce on-the-job injuries, ISO 45001 can save lives. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 5,147 fatal work injuries in 2017, along with a rate of employer-reported illness and injury of 2.8 per 100 full-time-equivalent workers. These figures are significant and the corresponding international numbers are far larger. Implementing ISO 45001 compliance reduces the risk of injury, illness and death, thereby reducing the likelihood and, potentially, the incidence of deaths.
A money-saver A reduction of work-related illnesses and injuries goes hand in hand with a reduction in staff absences, early retirement and, in the United States, Workers’ Compensation claims. It also correspondingly helps keep insurance premiums as low as possible.
A new and better standard Published in March 2018, ISO 45001 keeps the best of OHSAS 18001, while taking a more active and proactive approach.
Like OHSAS 18001, the newer standard follows the plan-do-check-act cycle, which is also a staple of the ISO 9001 and 14001 standards.
In addition, ISO 45001 makes the following changes:
Management must take a stronger leadership role in occupational health and safety as ISO 45001 is required to be incorporated into organizations’ overall management systems. Employees are required to take training that equips them to identify risks and help create a successful safety program. ISO 45001 follows a preventive process that relies on hazard identification and risk reduction.
Fits all organizations ISO 45001 is effective for all organizations that wish to use an occupational health and safety system to eliminate hazards, reduce risks, and improve the health and safety of workers. Organizations of all sizes and in all sectors around the world can benefit from ISO 45001 certification.
Works well with others ISO 45001 shares the same high-level structure and text, terms, and definitions as other ISO standards, including ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. With this structure, ISO 45001 can readily be integrated alongside other standards, resulting in high consistency among the standards in the management system. Additional standards related to specific aspects of occupational safety and health can easily be added, too.
Attractive to customers As with other standards, certification in ISO 45001 demonstrates a commitment to quality and safety that is recognized worldwide by governments, businesses and consumers. This can be especially important as transactions and partnerships increasingly take place on an international basis.
Everyone Wins with ISO 45001 Organizations that certify in ISO 45001 are able to take proactive steps to ensure employee health and safety and to benefit from doing so. Employees can take pride in their role in helping to create a safe and healthy workplace and everyone can benefit from working in such an environment. Business partners and consumers can also be confident that the organization hasn’t subjected workers to unnecessary hazards or risks.
Cavendish Scott has been helping organizations with ISO implementation for more than 35 years. With a full suite of coordinated training, auditing and consulting services, Cavendish Scott is available to help both organizations that are updating and replacing OHSAS 18001 certification and those that are implementing a health and safety standard for the first time. Organizations can get started by contacting Cavendish Scott through the link below.
April 27th, 2019
Here is a shocking statistic: according to the International Labor Organization over 7600 people die each day from work-related accidents or disasters. That totals to 2.78 million per year. ISO 45001 was established to help reduce this statistic. Employers carry the burden of occupational injuries which can result in losses from early retirements, staff absence, and rising insurance premiums. ISO 45001 helps to reduce this burden by providing a framework for improving employee safety, reducing workplace risks, and creating better, safer working conditions across the world.
History of ISO 45001 Before the release of ISO 45001 businesses relied on OHSAS 18001 for workplace safety guidelines. The standard was developed with OHSAS in mind along with the International Labor Organization’s ILO-OSH Guidelines. A committee of occupational health and safety experts and followers of other management system approaches put the standard together to ensure the standard covers everything workplace safety related. ISO 45001 was introduced in 2018 to the standards world, and now organizations are adopting the guidelines and looking to get certified.
Benefits of ISO 45001
When an organization adopts ISO 45001, they are putting into place an occupational health and safety management system. It helps the organization manage its OH&S risks and improve its OH&S performance by creating and implementing policies related to workplace health and safety. The key benefits of implementing ISO 45001 include:
Reduction of workplace incidents
Reduced work absences and employee turnover which results in increased productivity
Reduced cost of insurance premiums
Creation of a culture of health and safety where employees take ownership of their OH&S
A reinforced commitment of leadership to proactively improve OH&S performance
A way to meet legal and regulatory requirements
Enhanced reputation
Improved staff morale
Integrating and Adopting ISO 45001 ISO 45001 shares the same high-level structure and same core text, terms, and definitions as other ISO standards like ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. With this structure, it is easy for businesses which already use ISO to implement ISO 45001 alongside their other standards.
Organizations looking to adopt ISO 45001 can do a few things to get started:
Perform an analysis of your organization’s context that is relevant to OH&S and any internal or external factors that might impact your business.
Establish a scope of the system, keeping in mind what you would like your system to achieve.
Set OH&S policies and objectives.
Define the time frame of when you want to implement your system and plan how to meet it.
Determine any gaps in competence or resources that need to be fixed before applying the standard.
Get Help with ISO Cavendish Scott has been helping organizations with ISO implementation for over 35 years. Whether your organization is OHSAS certified or looking to add an OH&S component to your current ISO standard Cavendish Scott can assist your organization in getting there. Reach out to us so we can help your organization set its standard in workplace health and safety.
Here is a shocking statistic: according to the International Labor Organization over 7600 people die each day from work-related accidents or disasters. That totals to 2.78 million per year. ISO 45001 was established to help reduce this statistic. Employers carry the burden of occupational injuries which can result in losses from early retirements, staff absence, and rising insurance premiums. ISO 45001 helps to reduce this burden by providing a framework for improving employee safety, reducing workplace risks, and creating better, safer working conditions across the world.
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October 30th, 2018
As the dust is settling on the ISO 9001:2015 transition we must now look to the latest change from ISO. After many years of planning and deliberations, OHSAS has relinquished 18001 and ISO has developed a new health and safety standard. ISO 45001 is the new standard for organizations seeking to demonstrate health and safety compliance.
There are two critical issues associated with ISO 45001. While the standard focuses on Health and Safety, at heart all standards are about management systems. As such, ISO 45001 focuses on the processes that assure health and safety – not any specific health or safety issue. Second, health and safety are heavily regulated. Before there was ISO 45001, there was OHSAS 18001, and before 18001 there were organizations such as OSHA (which still exist and have to be navigated). All of that to say, ISO 45001 (much like OHSAS 18001) requires process skills and knowledge of management systems.
Auditing of ISO 45001 requires the same skills and knowledge. While knowledge of health and safety issues are beneficial, it is essential for organizations to ensure the effectiveness of the system that protects against those issues.
As of right now, information related to the official transition deadline has not been provided, however, information regarding how organizations can begin preparing to transition to ISO 45001 is readily available.
The current timeline for transition from OHSAS 18001 to ISO 45001 is three years. This means by roughly May of 2021 organizations will need to comply with ISO 45001. The good news is that the transition is going to be easy in many ways. Organizations who have already adopted ISO 9001:2015 or 14001 will be able to add 45001 as it is an Annex SL standard easily. The IAF has determined that organizations transitioning to 45001 will only need one additional audit day above their traditional auditing schedule to ensure they have transitioned properly from 18001 to 45001.
The bulk of the work in the transition will be making sure your organization’s documents are updated to match ISO’s risk-based approach. While transitioning, organizations will be able to integrate safety measures into both their ISO 9001 management systems and ISO 14001 environmental procedures. Ultimately, transitioning from OHSAS should be relatively smooth, and the benefits will be numerous.
Organizations who transition will be able to see
An increase in industry recognition as an organization focused on health and safety standards
Adaptability to potential health and safety issues due to ISO’s risk-based approach and 45001’s focus on prevention
A complete management system which focuses on the management of personnel, environmental, and health and safety concerns
It is possible your organization is an expert in the safety expectations for your industry; however, some organizations may need assistance in adjusting this information into a management system. Cavendish Scott can provide that help.
Cavendish Scott has the expertise to help you implement ISO 45001. We have been working with ISO management system standards for over 30 years. Organizations frequently outsource vital activities to professional subcontractors. Cavendish Scott has assisted in hundreds ISO transitions. We can give management confidence and assurance of continued certification while keeping everyone in the organization safe. We have the experience of designing and implementing thousands of management systems and have never failed an ISO assessment. We are extremely business focused and deliver practical, low maintenance, and value-added solutions. Our turnkey consulting approach takes most of the effort from you while guaranteeing a successful registration.
We are extremely business focused and deliver practical, low maintenance, and value-added solutions. Our turnkey consulting approach takes most of the effort from you while guaranteeing a successful registration.
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May 31st, 2018
ISO 45001 is the latest standard to be published and is focused on safety. Previously, organizations would have to look outside ISO to OHSAS 18001 to show safety compliance. After many years of work, ISO has released 45001 which is the first International Standard for occupational health and safety. The standard is beneficial to any organization seeking to improve and show worker safety measures. ISO 45001 can be implemented at both captive and partner factories as well as production facilities.
ISO 45001 uses a high-level structure (Annex SL) so it has the same structure as both ISO 9001 and 14001. This makes 45001 an easy addition to any organization which already has 9001 or 14001 implemented. Organizations will be able to integrate related systems whether it be something like quality or environment with health and safety. ISO 45001 will increase efficiency across all ISO systems while simultaneously increasing working health and safety across the board.
ISO 45001 also features the same risk-based approach that ISO 9001 and 14001 employs. When an organization adopts 45001 effectively they will be able to address issues which could lead to long-term health issues or absence from work and shore up any areas which may be prone to accidents.
The benefits of ISO 45001 include but are not limited to:
Company-wide engagement : ISO 45001 places a focus on worker consultation for better OH&S practicesPrevention : ISO 45001’s emphasis on prevention provides organizations with a less costly way to manage worker safetyRisk-based approach : By adopting a risk-based approach to OH&S practices organizations are able to better prevent health and safety issues specifically related to your organization.Easy integration with ISO 9001 & 14001 : Integration provides an easy-to-use system which is beneficial in assessing risks and streamlining processes.Increased focus on outsourced processes and subcontractors : ISO 45001 provides an opportunity to identify, control, and improve processes in an effort to eliminate safety and health risks to all workers in the supply chain.
ISO 45001 employs a simple Plan-Do-Check-Act model which gives organizations a clear path to creating a plan to minimize the risk of harm. As an employer we know minimizing health and safety risks are important. When you successfully manage OH&S risk your organization can improve its ability to prevent injury, ill health, and death while also supporting worker’s livelihoods, your business, and community.
ISO 45001 has replaced OHSAS 18001. Organizations will have three years to transition from 18001 to 45001. While three years are allowed for the transition, as some organizations may have realized from the ISO 9001:2015 transition – sooner is better than later.
Cavendish Scott has the expertise to help you implement ISO 45001. We have been working with ISO management system standards for over 30 years. We have the experience of designing and implementing thousands of management systems and have never failed an ISO assessment. We are extremely business focused and deliver practical, low maintenance, and value-added solutions. Our turnkey consulting approach takes most of the effort from you while guaranteeing a successful registration.
There is no better time than today to get started on ISO 45001. With over 30 years of experience, Cavendish Scott is equipped to help you adopt the latest ISO standard. Click the learn more button to have Cavendish Scott assist your organization with implementing ISO 45001.
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