ISO 45001:2018 - Getting started with the basics

With this post I will be starting the analysis of the elements of occupational health and safety management systems, in accordance with the requirements of the ISO 45001: 2018 standard. Even if you know this standard well, and even that you are implementing it, I hope here be able to generate some information that is useful to you; something that you, maybe, have not identify yet. I will do this in a parallel way that I will be doing with other standardized management systems.

I will start by commenting that, as you surely know, ISO 45001 is a first edition document, published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in March 2018. This standard incorporates the features that ISO has introduced in some management system standards, under uniform criteria, that allow organizations to manage standardized management systems in an integrated manner.

According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), more than 7,600 people die every day from accidents or occupational diseases. That is why an ISO committee of occupational safety and health experts went to work to develop an International Standard with the potential to save nearly three million lives each year. Structured similarly to other ISO management systems, the approach will be familiar to users of standards such as ISO 14001 or ISO 9001. ISO 45001 builds on the success of previous international standards in this area, such as OHSAS 18001, the ILO-OSH Guidelines of the International Labour Organization, various national standards and international labour standards and conventions of the ILO.

The International Organization for Standardization itself presents it as follows:

 

What is a management system?

A management system is the way in which an organization manages the interrelated parts of its business in order to achieve its objectives. These objectives can relate to a number of different topics, including product or service quality, operational efficiency, environmental performance, health and safety in the workplace and many more.

The level of complexity of the system will depend on each organization’s specific context. For some organizations, especially smaller ones, it may simply mean having strong leadership from the business owner, providing a clear definition of what is expected from each individual employee and how they contribute to the organization’s overall objectives, without the need for extensive documentation. More complex businesses operating, for example, in highly regulated sectors, may need extensive documentation and controls in order to fulfil their legal obligations and meet their organizational objectives.

 

The ISO model: agreed by experts

ISO management system standards (MSS) help organizations improve their performance by specifying repeatable steps that organizations consciously implement to achieve their goals and objectives, and to create an organizational culture that reflexively engages in a continuous cycle of self-evaluation, correction and improvement of operations and processes through heightened employee awareness and management leadership and commitment.

The benefits of an effective management system to an organization include:

• More efficient use of resources and improved financial performance

• Improved risk management and protection of people and the environment

• Increased capability to deliver consistent and improved services and products, thereby increasing value to customers and all other stakeholders

MSSs are the result of consensus among international experts with expertise in global management, leadership strategies, and efficient and effective processes and practices. MSS standards can be implemented by any organization, large or small.

 

Management Systems Standards (MSS)

These are ISO standards that set out requirements or guidance to help organizations manage their policies and processes to achieve specific objectives. MSS are designed to be applicable across all economic sectors, various types and sizes of organizations and diverse geographical, cultural and social conditions.

Many ISO MSS have the same structure and contain many of the same terms & definitions and requirements.

 

Annex SL: more than a shared structure

In addition to being laid out in the same way, there are some parts of a standard where identical text can be used. This improves coherence and recognition, simplifies use, and is defined in something called “Annex SL”. It means that in addition to having the same structure, MSSs can contain many of the same terms and definitions. This is particularly useful for those organizations that choose to operate a single (sometimes called “integrated”) management system that can meet the requirements of two or more MSSs being used simultaneously.

Annex SL plays a key role in the interoperability and user friendliness of standards for countless users of ISO management standards around the world.

 

What is the ISO 45001 standard?

ISO 45001 is an international standard that specifies the requirements for an occupational health and safety (OH&S) management system, with guidance for its use, to enable an organization to proactively improve its OH&S performance in preventing injuries and illnesses.

The ISO 45001 standard is intended to be applicable to any organization regardless of its size, type and nature.

All of its requirements are intended to be integrated into an organization's own management processes.

This standard allows an organization, through its OH&S management system, to integrate other aspects of safety and health, such as the well-being of workers; however, it should be noted that applicable legal requirements may require an organization to address these issues as well.

ISO 45001 enables organizations to implement an occupational health and safety management system (OH&S). This will help them manage their OH&S risks and improve their OH&S performance by developing and implementing effective policies and objectives.

In general, the key potential benefits of using this standard include:

• Reduction of labour incidents

• Reduced absenteeism and staff turnover, which increases productivity.

• Lower cost of insurance premiums

• Creation of a culture of safety and health, whereby employees are encouraged to take an active role in their own OH&S.

• Strengthened leadership commitment to proactively improve OH&S performance

• Ability to meet legal and regulatory requirements

• Increase reputation

• Improve staff morale

In summary, in order to start its analysis, the ISO 45001:2018 specifies requirements for an occupational health and safety (OH&S) management system, and gives guidance for its use, to enable organizations to provide safe and healthy workplaces by preventing work-related injury and ill health, as well as by proactively improving its OH&S performance.

This standard is applicable to any organization that wishes to establish, implement and maintain an OH&S management system to improve occupational health and safety, eliminate hazards and minimize OH&S risks (including system deficiencies), take advantage of OH&S opportunities, and address OH&S management system nonconformities associated with its activities.

The standard ISO 45001:2018 helps an organization to achieve the intended outcomes of its OH&S management system. Consistent with the organization's OH&S policy, the intended outcomes of an OH&S management system include:

a) continual improvement of OH&S performance;

b) fulfilment of legal requirements and other requirements;

c) achievement of OH&S objectives.

 

ISO 45001:2018 is applicable to any organization regardless of its size, type and activities. It is applicable to the OH&S risks under the organization's control, taking into account factors such as the context in which the organization operates and the needs and expectations of its workers and other interested parties.

This standard does not state specific criteria for OH&S performance, nor is it prescriptive about the design of an OH&S management system.

It enables an organization, through its OH&S management system, to integrate other aspects of health and safety, such as worker wellness/wellbeing.

This standard does not address issues such as product safety, property damage or environmental impacts, beyond the risks to workers and other relevant interested parties.

ISO 45001:2018 can be used in whole or in part to systematically improve occupational health and safety management. However, claims of conformity to this document are not acceptable unless all its requirements are incorporated into an organization's OH&S management system and fulfilled without exclusion.

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) created a particular technical committee for the ISO 45000 family of standards, which is the Project Committee ISO/PC 283, Occupational health and safety management systems.

In the next post we will delve into the context of this ISO 45001:2018 standard.

 

Author: 

Ernesto Palomares Hilton