How to effectively manage ISO 45001

ISO 45001 is set for publication in March 2018. The new standard outlines requirements for an occupational health and safety management system (OHSMS) through multiple clauses intended to improve employee safety, reduce workplace risks and create better, safer working conditions.

The International Labour Organization estimates more than 7,600 people die each day from work-related accidents or diseases – over 2.78 million people every year. Additionally, there are some 374 million non-fatal work-related injuries and illnesses each year, many of these resulting in extended absences from work.

How should an organization make sure its employees go home safely every day? –  AuditComply &  ISO 45001.

The publication of the much-awaited ISO 45001 standard for Occupational Health and Safety is soon to be released. This is following FDIS (The Final Draft International Standard) being approved in November 2017. The Standard will migrate from OHSAS 18001, with an expected publication on March 2018 and then companies currently with OHSAS 18001 will have 3 years to migrate.

The ISO 45001 requirements are intended to be integrated into an organization’s own management processes and OH&S management system, allowing the organization to include other aspects of their health and safety requirements, such as worker wellness/wellbeing and staff consultation. This should mean a seamless implementation for most companies –  with or without an OHSAS 18001 management system already in place.

The current Health & Safety Legislation calls for companies to have many documents/processes in place to ensure a safe and risk-free environment for their workforce. This includes; Health & Safety Policy, Safe Systems of Work, Risk Assessments, Accident / Incident records and reporting procedures. ISO 45001 also calls for companies to have an understanding of their interested parties, this includes workers, contractors and visitors.

As with the ISO 9001:2015 and 14001:2015, ISO 45001 will follow Annex SL and be aligned with it. This will ensure the following clauses are linked:

(1) Scope

(2) Normative references

(3) Terms and definitions

(4) Context of the organization

(5) Leadership

(6) Planning

(7) Support

(8) Operation

(9) Performance evaluation

(10) Improvement

Under Clause 9 -Performance evaluation, there is a requirement for companies to consider and in some cases deliver the following:

-Monitoring, measurement, analysis and evaluation – define and implement a process to ensure Health & Safety within your company is being reviewed and improvements evaluated and improved.

-Evaluation of compliance with legal requirements and other requirements – ensure your company has identified your legal requirements and implemented them accordingly.

-Internal audit – Establish a robust Internal Audit process and set Internal audit objectives. This includes having a schedule in-place that covers the requirements of this new standard and ensures that audits will be carried out by competent team members.

The AuditComply platform can help your company create a comprehensive series of assessments to meet these objectives. This can cover all the requirements of Clause 9 and any additional requirements your company may need. Assessments can be built and scheduled on the system, with auditors allocated to carry out the assessments using the platform on either a mobile or desktop application.

Clause 9 also calls for companies to carry out a Management Review at prescribed intervals. The reports and data the AuditComply platform produces are perfect for helping management comply fully.

Clause 10 – Improvement requires the following:

-Incidents, nonconformities and corrective actions need to be identified and appropriate actions are taken to rectify them. Companies have to ensure there is the continual improvement to the management system to ensure accidents and incidents are reduced.

-There will need to be Continual Improvement Objectives set and a Continual Improvement Process implemented. AuditComply’s flexibility allows you to readily develop templates to meet your requirements using a clause and process-based approach.

Organizations manage health and safety programs through a manual system using pen and paper, Microsoft Excel or some other out-dated tools. These type of systems can be complicated and inefficient, leading to errors in data reporting, compliance issues and items getting lost in the mountain of paperwork.

However, AuditComply can help you with your Health & Safety / ISO 45001 management requirements. Findings are captured and corrective actions recorded, ensuring there is detailed evidence of the improvement process. Findings can be evaluated and grouped to identify trends to help ensure the Continual Improvement process is effective.

A cost-effective and time-efficient compliance management system like AuditComply can help streamline your health and safety program, ensuring that all your employees leave work safely every day.

For further details on AuditComply or to avail for a free trial please contact us at info@auditcomply.com