ISO 45001:2018 is the replacement to OHSAS 18001 and is the international ISO standard for Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems (OHSMS). A recent communication from the IAF has stated that due to the current COVID-19 situation and in line with the fact that OHSAS 18001 certification can be extended by up to six months, the deadline for migrating to ISO 45001 from OHSAS 18001 certification has now been extended by six months.
The new deadline for migrating a system from OHSAS 18001 to ISO 45001 is now 30th September 2021.
What is different in the ISO 45001?
Even with all the similarities discussed above, there are still differences in ISO 45001 compared to the ISO 14001 standard. As you might expect, these differences focus on those affected most directly by activities to improve occupational health & safety in the workplace.
Focus on worker participation: Several actions of the ISO 45001 standard include requirements to include workers in the creation and functioning of the OHSMS. This includes consultation of workers when determining the processes that need to be included in the implementation of the OHSMS after it is implemented. To better understand implementing this requirement, see the article How to meet participation and consultation requirements in ISO 45001.
Inclusion of incidents in the corrective action process: While all of the management system standards include a process for taking corrective action when a process has some nonconformities, the ISO 45001 standard includes the need for corrective action when a workplace OH&S incident occurs to prevent reccurrence and safeguard workers in the future.
Focus on hazard elimination and risk minimization: Part of the ISO 45001 operation requirements is to work towards eliminating hazards in your organization. By trying to eliminate hazards, you can work towards minimizing your OH&S risks and make your workplace safer for everyone involved. For more information on how to do this, see the article 5 levels of hazard controls in ISO 45001 and how they should be applied.
Requirements for procurement: When you are procuring products and services from contractors or through outsourcing, the ISO 45001 standard includes the need to have a process to ensure that these products and services conform to your OH&S Management System processes. This way you will not be put at risk because, for instance, a contractor will have different practices than you while working on your property.
Why Choose us?
At Exsolution Group our team is committed to supporting your organisation’s need to implement the ISO 45001:2018. Our team of Occupational Health Safety industry experts and practitioners have vast experience implementing, maintaining and auditing management systems. We have been operating for quite some time, and this has allowed us to obtain tremendous experience during our years of existence. Our Consultants are well versed in all the ISO Standards and will provide you with insight into all aspects of the process.
Keeping safe and healthy in the work place is important at any time, but even more so in times like these. This year’s World Day for Safety and Health at Work addresses the COVID – 19 pandemic and Exsolution Consultants are right behind the efforts with guidance to help.
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