The International Labour Organization estimates that some 2.3 million workers, including men and women, succumb to work-related accidents and diseases. Work-related accidents and diseases are the grave problems many countries are facing, and workplaces are more dangerous in the industrial environment, including accidents and mishandling of hazardous materials.
The National Safety Council’s (NSC) statistics demonstrate that workplace accidents and diseases cost around 99 million days of lost productivity annually.
What is ISO 45001 Certification?
ISO standards are international standards developed by the International Organization for Standardization. ISO 45001 Certification is the world’s first International Standard that aims to establish safe and healthy workplaces. It specifies the requirements for Occupational Health and Safety Management System and improves the safety and health of employees.
ISO 45001 standards provide a framework to increase safety, reduce work-related incidents and diseases and enhance the safety and well-being of employees. It focuses on identifying work-related hazards and enables an organization to proactively implement appropriate controls to eliminate them. It shapes the organization into proactive rather than reactive.
ISO 45001 Standard- Occupational Health and Safety Management System
An Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSMS) is an integral part of the organization’s risk management strategy. It embeds other national and international standards in a single framework, including OHSAS 18001, the International Labour Organization’s ILO-OSH 2001 guidelines, and provides a holistic approach to create safe and healthy workplaces.
It follows a risk-based approach and provides tools to address risks and opportunities accordingly. It requires an organization to conduct a risk assessment and prepare an adequate risk treatment plan and implement appropriate controls to mitigate risks and hazards related to workplace safety.
Who can apply for ISO 45001 Certification?
Any organization can apply for ISO 45001 Certification if it wishes to permanently reduce the occupational health and safety-related issues to ensure the safety of employees, visitors and suppliers. ISO 45001 Certification is a generic standard that applies to most industries, large and small, regardless of the size, nature and geographical location.
List of some of the industries that can go for ISO 45001:
- Information Technology Industry
- Educational Institutions
- Healthcare Sector
- Manufacturing Industries
- Financial Institutions
- Retailers
- Telecommunications
- Government Agencies
Principles of ISO 45001 Certification
The ISO 45001 Certification consists of four major principles. These are:
- Continual Improvement – It follows Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle that focuses on each individual element and provides a structural model to provide occupational health and safety. It provides suitable and sustainable solutions to the organization.
- Process-based approach – It integrates all the business processes and aims to manage and improve them to achieve desired outcomes. It focuses on improving the efficiency and effectiveness of business processes.
- Risk Management – It follows a risk-based approach. It focuses on identifying the risks and hazards related to workplaces and implement adequate controls to eliminate them. It detects potential risks and opportunities and formulates plans and policies to manage them accordingly.
- European general principles of prevention – ISO 45001- Occupational Health and Safety Management System certification is based on the framework of European general principles directives of 1989 (Directive 89/391 EEC).
ISO 45001 Compliance is not a mandatory requirement, as it depends on organizations whether they want to go for ISO 45001 certification or not. It is a useful tool to demonstrate an organization’s commitment and ability to establish workplace safety.
Reasons to Opt for ISO 45001 Certification
- Increases Productivity It implements appropriate controls to reduce work-related incidents and diseases and offers safe and healthy workplaces for employees. ISO 45001 standards boost employee’s confidence and make them feel the organization cares about their safety and needs. It reduces work-related accidents and diseases and reduces absenteeism which in turn increases the efficiency and productivity of the employees.
- Increases revenue of the organization
It demonstrates an organization’s ability to meet legal and other requirements and helps in avoiding regulatory fines and penalties due to non-compliance. It reduces the cost of insurance premiums as it focuses on a preventive approach, not a curative approach. ISO 45001 standards enhance productivity and participation of employees resulting in increased production.
- Creates a better reputation
ISO 45001 Certification offers necessary tools and techniques to establish occupational health and safety of the employees and enhances the transparency and accountability of the organization. It leverages your organization and gives a competitive edge, as it demonstrates an organization’s compliance with the international standards.
- Creation of healthy and safe workplaces
It fosters a culture of safety and establishes a positive culture supporting the prevention of workplace injuries and diseases. ISO 45001 standards focus on identifying the risks and hazards related to workplace safety and preparing a hierarchy of controls. The organization requires preparing and defining controls to reduce occupational health and safety risks.
Conclusion
ISO 45001 is an internationally accredited standard for Occupational Health and Safety Management System. It provides a framework for establishing safe and healthy workplaces to ensure the safety of the employees. ISO 45001 Certifications provide necessary tools and techniques for an organization to identify work-related hazards and risks and offer appropriate tools to eliminate them. It requires providing necessary training and guidance to the employees and motivates them to actively participate in the poetesses and procedures. It follows a preventive approach and conducts risk assessments to identify potential risks and hazards and shapes the organization into proactive rather than reactive to ensure the health and safety of employees.