ISO 45001

What is ISO 45001?

The new Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems (OHSMS) standard, ISO 45001, sets out the requirements for an OHS management system that will help organizations ensure they are meeting their legal obligations to protect employees from workplace risks. It is applicable to any organization regardless of its size or activity. The ISO 45001 standard was established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

ISO 45001:2018 Version

The goal of ISO is to promote the continuous improvement of management systems. Therefore, ISO standards are continuously revised to reflect the latest best practices. The ISO 45001:2018 standard represents a significant revision from what was previously published as ISO 45001:2014. The latest version was published on 30 March 2018 and addresses all hazards and processes, including technological risks.

Differences Between OHSAS 18001 and ISO 45001

ISO 45001 is comparable to OHSAS 18001, but there are some key distinctions. OHSAS 18001 is a Health and Safety Management System standard published by the British Standards Institution (BSI), whereas ISO 45001 is an Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems Standard that was developed under the auspices of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). ISO 45001 is an international standard that offers an adaptable structure of process-based requirements, whereas OHSAS 18001 is based on a much more prescriptive model.

OHSAS 18001 sets out specific arrangements for each requirement within the Management System, specifying what needs to be done and who should do it. ISO 45001 takes the opposite approach, providing an adaptive framework for what needs to be done but leaving it up to organizations to decide how best to do it. OHSAS 18001 has become obsolete in the international market, and currently, organizations in Egypt are upgrading their systems to the latest ISO 45001 standard. Organizations that had already implemented OHSAS 18001 were required to conduct an audit against the new ISO 45001 standard.

Importance of ISO 45001

ISO 45001 can help organizations to define appropriate occupational health and safety policies, procedures, and controls that are tailored to their needs. Having this kind of flexibility is critical in today’s business environment where many companies are dealing with rapidly changing conditions on a global scale. ISO 45001 provides them with the tools they need to manage health and safety risks.

Organizations that want to avoid workplace accidents and protect their employees, customers, and other visitors need to adopt a comprehensive health and safety management system. Such a system will help them to define risks, identify controls, monitor performance, and continuously improve their health and safety management capabilities. To do this effectively, organizations need to use the right tools that will link together all aspects of occupational health and safety risk management in one integrated system. The ISO 45001 standard is designed to provide the necessary requirements for creating such a system.

What is ISO 45001 Certification?

Organizations that want to prove their commitment to health and safety management should obtain ISO 45001 certification. ISO 45001 certified organizations can benefit from improved brand value, credibility, and customer awareness. ISO 45001 certification involves the verification by an independent certification body that your occupational health and safety management system complies with ISO 45001 requirements.

Process for ISO 45001 Certification

Before applying for ISO 45001 certification, it is important for your organization to closely examine its current status. This involves conducting a gap analysis on your existing occupational health and safety management system.

The process of certification testing generally involves the following steps:

• Defining relevant policies, procedures, and controls for occupational health and safety.
• Evaluating relevant hazards in the workplace including chemical, biological, physical, ergonomic, psychosocial, organizational factors, etc.
• Implementing appropriate risk control measures.
• Monitoring occupational health and safety performance.
• Conduct regular internal audits to ensure that the system remains fully effective.
• Detecting non-conformities in workplace conditions, resolving them, and taking necessary actions to prevent a recurrence.

Hiring a Certification Body

Once your documentation is in place, your organization can hire an ISO certification body like IAS to conduct external audits of your current OHSMS to verify that it meets the ISO 45001 requirements. The audit will be conducted in 2 phases:

Stage 1 Preliminary Audit: During the Stage 1 audit, the external auditor will perform an independent review of your current occupational health and safety management system documentation. This includes a site evaluation, employee interviews, and documentation review. The auditor will verify that your system complies with the ISO 45001 requirements, identify any gaps, and recommend ways of closing them before the final audit.

Stage 2 Certification Audit: During the Stage 2 audit, the auditor will inspect your workplace environment to verify whether you maintain effective control of risks and identify effective ways to close any remaining gaps in your occupational health and safety management system. The auditor will also review your internal audit report and system documentation during this stage.

Once the Stage 2 audit is completed, the certification body will issue you a certificate attesting that your organization has an ISO 45001 certified occupational health and safety management system.

Benefits of ISO 45001 Certification

After your organization obtains ISO 45001 certification, you will be in compliance with the requirements of international standards. ISO 45001 certification is highly suitable for companies in Egypt as it supports businesses in complying with international standards and satisfying their customers’ needs to increase their efficiency, productivity, and customer awareness. The following are just some of the many benefits of successfully implementing ISO 45001:

• Demonstrates your commitment to health and safety employees in the workplace.
• Increase efficiency by integrating all aspects of OHSMS into one system that is fully linked together with your business operations.
• Help your organization respond to environmental changes more effectively due to systematic risk identification and control.
• Improve employee efficiency by providing solutions for some of the work-related problems that they face on a daily basis.
• Enhance customer confidence in your organization’s commitment to occupational health and safety.

IAS – Egypt’s Most Popular ISO 45001 Certification Body

IAS is an ISO 45001 certification body that offers a wide range of certification services and ISO training courses. Incorporated in 2006, IAS has more than 13 years of experience in auditing and issuing management system certifications as well as product certifications.

IAS has IRCA certified, professionally experienced, real-time lead auditors to carry out the audit and to support the organizations in the achievement of ISO 45001 certification.

Is your organization ready to get ISO 45001 certified? Contact IAS today for a free consultation!

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