ISO 45001 is an international standard that specifies the requirements for an occupational health and safety (OH&S) management system. It aims to help organisations of any size and industry to prevent work-related injuries and illnesses, and to provide a safe and healthy workplace for their workers and other interested parties. In this blog, we want to explain what ISO 45001 is. The main benefits of implementation and logical steps to take for certification.
The standard was published in March 2018 by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), after more than four years of development and consultation with experts and stakeholders from around the world. It is based on the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle, which is a common approach for managing processes and improving performance.
The main benefits of implementing ISO 45001 are:
- It demonstrates your commitment to providing a safe and healthy work environment for your employees and others who may be affected by your activities.
- It helps you comply with legal and other requirements related to OH&S, such as regulations, codes of practice, and industry standards.
- It enhances your reputation and credibility as a socially responsible organisation that cares about its workers and the society.
- It reduces the risks of accidents, incidents, and occupational diseases, which can result in human suffering, financial losses, and legal liabilities.
- It improves your operational efficiency and productivity by reducing absenteeism, turnover, and downtime due to OH&S issues.
- It fosters a positive OH&S culture within your organisation, where workers are engaged, consulted, and empowered to take part in OH&S decisions and actions.
- It facilitates continual improvement of your OH&S performance by setting objectives, measuring results, and taking corrective actions.
ISO 45001 is compatible with other ISO management system standards, such as ISO 9001 (quality) and ISO 14001 (environmental). This means that you can integrate your OH&S management system with your existing management systems, and achieve greater synergy and consistency across your organisation. This is where our bespoke business management system, Titan comes in!
If you are interested in adopting ISO 45001 for your organisation, you can follow these steps:
- Obtain a copy of the standard from the ISO website or an authorised distributor.
- Conduct a gap analysis to identify the current state of your OH&S management system and the areas that need improvement to meet the requirements of the standard.
- Develop an implementation plan that defines the scope, objectives, timeline, resources, roles, and responsibilities for the project.
- Provide training and awareness for your workers and other relevant parties on the standard and its benefits.
- Establish or update your OH&S policy, objectives, processes, procedures, documents, records, and performance indicators in accordance with the standard.
- Implement your OH&S management system by communicating it to your workers and other interested parties, providing the necessary resources and support, and ensuring its effectiveness and suitability.
- Conduct internal audits and management reviews to monitor and evaluate your OH&S management system and identify opportunities for improvement.
- Seek external certification from an accredited certification body if you wish to demonstrate your conformity to the standard to external parties.
As you can see, implementing ISO 45001 can be a complex and challenging process, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that may lack the resources, expertise or time to do it on their own. That’s why many organisations choose to hire a consultant to help them achieve ISO 45001 compliance. Mark1 can help with this too.
A consultant such as ourselves can offer many benefits to organisations that want to implement ISO 45001, such as:
- Providing guidance and advice on how to interpret and apply the requirements of the standard.
- Provide Training and support with our Quality Management System Software Titan.
- Conducting a gap analysis to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the current health and safety management system.
- Developing a customised action plan to address the gaps and achieve compliance.
- Providing training and coaching to the staff and management on the principles and practices of ISO 45001.
- Conducting internal audits and management reviews to monitor and evaluate the progress and effectiveness of the system.
- Assisting with the preparation and documentation for the external certification audit.
- Supporting the organisation during and after the certification audit to ensure a successful outcome.
By using a consultant, organisations can save time, money and effort in implementing ISO 45001. A consultant can also bring a fresh perspective, best practices and industry knowledge to the organisation, which can enhance its health and safety culture and performance.
Therefore, using a consultant can be a smart and strategic decision for organisations that want to obtain or maintain ISO 45001 compliance and reap it’s benefits.
Why choose Mark1?
Mark1 ISO consultancy is a leading provider of ISO certification and training services in Manchester and the surrounding areas. We help businesses of all sizes and sectors achieve international standards of quality, safety, environmental management and information security.
Whether you need to implement a new ISO system, maintain an existing one, or prepare for an audit, we can assist you with their expert guidance and support. We have a team of qualified and experienced consultants who can tailor their services to your specific needs and goals.
We are committed to delivering high-quality services that meet your expectations and budget. We have a proven track record of helping hundreds of clients achieve ISO certification and improve their business performance. Contact us today to find out how we can help you with your ISO needs.
For more information on ISO 45001, you can contact the Mark1 team here.
