ISO 45001 Health and Safety Management

Risks come in all shapes and sizes for employees. Injury can happen both to people sitting at a desk (e.g. back and neck problems) and using the office stairs as it can to a fleet of drivers on the road or people handling hazardous material.

To prove an organisation is up to scratch when it comes to monitoring and protecting the safety of its workforce, managers often reach for ISO 45001 (previously referred to as OHSAS 18001).

By March 2021, all firms holding previous and existing OHSAS 18001 certification will need to transfer to the new ISO 45001, which is replacing the original standard. Our expert team of Qualitators is ideally placed to advise on migration to the new health and safety standard.

Look after your people and they will look after you

In either case, the certification indicates a safety-first approach and is in large part enforced by legislation. The beauty of ISO 45001 is that it enables any size of organisation, in any industry, to remain compliant in the face of ever-changing health and safety laws. Ultimately, this protects your most valuable asset – people.

As with other ISO certification, you’ll need to create registers to show and maintain compliance. The first should be a document outlining all of the current health and safety laws that apply to your organisation. The second is a ledger detailing the risks and hazards that could befall each individual member of your team.

ISO 45001 formalises a business’s approach to health and safety using thorough, but efficient, documentation, verified with further checks and balances by a third party. Our Qualitators can advise on all aspects of ISO 45001.

Just like governments, the first job of a Board or management team is to protect its people. It is a legal and moral requirement that can be fulfilled by gaining and implementing this vital standard.