ISO 45001:2018 Safety Management System Certification
What does ISO Certification to ISO 45001 mean for my organisation?
The new International Standard for Safety Management systems, ISO 45001, replaces the previous OHSAS 18001. Businesses previously certified to OHSAS 18001 were required to migrate to ISO 45001 to maintain the currency of their certification.
The good news is that ISO 45001 shares much of its framework with AS/NZS 4801 and OHSAS 18001, so businesses migrating to the new standard rendered the process almost seamless.
The most exciting part about migrating to the new standard is that it follows the same Annex L (Formerly Annex SL) structure as the current international Quality and Environmental Management standards, making it a breeze to integrate with existing systems. The approach applied in ISO 45001 is based on the well known and widely utilised Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) process.
Used by companies worldwide to facilitate continual improvement, the PDCA is a circular model - there is no end to the process - hence the term ‘continual improvement’. It can be implemented to the overarching Management System and to each of its individual items and is facilitated in the following manner within ISO 45001:
PLAN: the organisation determines and assesses WHS risks and opportunities and sets processes and objectives necessary to deliver improved results.
DO: implement processes, allocate resources and communicate objectives as per plan, ensuring training and awareness is provided.
CHECK: monitor and review effectiveness of plan via comparison to set environmental management objectives.
ACT: take actions to ensure continual improvement of intended health and safety outcomes.
What has changed?
In an attempt to reduce the number of workplace injuries, illnesses and fatalities, the International Organisation for Standardisation has developed ISO 45001, superseding the previous Safety Management Standard OHSAS 18001. Harmonising the International Standards for Quality, Environmental and Safety Management, ISO 45001 aims to promote a strong safety culture in organisations by integrating the safety system further into the organisation’s core activities.
There are many differences in the two systems, though the overarching contrast is that while the previous standard was focused on managing health and safety hazards and deals exclusively with risk at the procedural level, the updated standard concentrates on the interaction between the organisation and its operational environment as a whole.
I am new to International Safety Management Standards, what does this mean for me?
Depending on your existing knowledge of ISO management systems, adapting your current system to the new standard can be quite simple. Adopting Annex L means that ISO 45001 shares a high level structure with both ISO 9001 (Quality Management) and ISO 14001 (Environmental Management). If you already have an understanding of the common framework, then most of ISO 45001 will feel familiar to you, and you will just need to ‘fill the gaps’ within your current system.
If this is not the case, then your organisation may find implementing a certifiable ISO 45001 system more difficult without assistance. Like with any standard, it is not easily interpreted and it is recommended that you seek external guidance from QSERC.
What if I have an Integrated System certified to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001?
ISO’s standards deliberately share a common framework for management system standards, so to facilitate the integration of new management topics into the existing management systems of an organisation. ISO 45001 is closely related to ISO 9001 and 14001 as many organisations combine quality, environmental and OHS functions internally.
How will ISO 45001 improve work health and safety worldwide?
Most organisations will use ISO 45001 to establish effective Safety Management Systems, and many will want the benefits that accompany certification to the standard.
While the standard requires that OH&S risks be addressed and controlled, it also takes a risk-based approach to the OH&S management system itself, to ensure that it is effective and that it is being continually improved to meet an organisation’s ever-changing “context”. Moreover, it ensures compliance with current legislation worldwide.
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