Occupational safety management systems

ISO 45001:2018

With growing influence on companies, the number of laws, ordinances and implementing provisions governing the interests of occupational safety and health is increasing. The persons responsible for occupational safety in the companies handle a sensitive task, for which they and the entrepreneurs have to take responsibility in case of litigation .
 

Occupational health and safety management systems are set up in a similar way to environmental management systems. These are structured procedures that guide the internal organization of occupational safety.
Systematic occupational health and safety and effective AMS mean: planning and systematically organizing safety and health protection and consistently operating it as a management task. This also includes regularly reviewing and continuously improving the effectiveness of occupational health and safety management.

Advantages of a work safety management system:

  • Conformity assurance of legal obligations
  • Continuous improvement of working conditions
  • Reduce costs by reducing downtime costs due to accidents and illness
  • Reduction of labor law risks
  • Improvement of the image
  • Motivation of the employees

 

Implementation of a H&S Management System

The implementation of a H&S Management system is largely done by:

  • Illustration of the actual state of existing process structures
  • Determination of relevant process stops analogous to the requirements of the standard
  • Integration of external requirements, for example (5S, TPM, or required customer specifications)
  • Development of required processes (mapping of policy and objectives, qualifications of the persons responsible, risk assessments, measuring points, audit programs, performance evaluation, handling of deviations)
  • Training of process-involved employees
  • Test runs with fault maneuvers, troubleshooting, tracking exercises and test audits
  • Selection of a suitable certification authority
  • Assistance with the practical management activity, e.g. internal audits, processing of an audit report, document control, management review
  • Preparation of the stage 1 audit



An initial certification consists of a 2-stage audit. Level 1 audit objectives include:

  • Documented information of the management system, including statistical information on scope, policies, objectives, interested parties, including:
  • context of the organisation
  • Processes descriptions
  • Levels of controls used (especially for multi-site organizations)
  • Applicable statutory and regulatory requirements
  • determing of the organizations objectives
  • Assessment of internal audits and management reviews
  • Site-specific conditions of the organization
  • Illustration of the responsible persons and their competence to prepare for level 2
  • Reviewing the organization's understanding of the requirements of the standard,
  • Identification of the most important services, aspects, processes, objectives of the management system


Level 1 assessment must ensure that Stage 2 objectives can be met. Afterwards the preparation for the stage 2 audit takes place. The purpose of the Level 2 assessment is to assess the effectiveness of the organization's management system.

 

Level 2 audit objectives include:

  • Performance in monitoring, reporting and target achievement.
  • Regulatory compliance audit, Measures requiring review
  • Operational control
  • Participation and knowledge of the workforce
  • Internal Audits and Management Review
  • Responsibility of the management.


With successful certification the implementation is finished


With good preparation, an initial certification procedure can be completed within a few months. There is a minimum duration between implementation and level 1, as well as between level 1 and level 2 audits.

Between the implementation of the management system and the first level 1 assessment, the evidence of the organization's effective implementation of the system must be mapped for at least three months. For multi-site organizations, the Level 1 Assessment is focused on the central organization. (See IAF 71 SD 6 013 | Revision: 1.1 | 20 August 2015)

Usually there should be a minimum of one month between Level 1 and Level 2 assessments. If more than three months and less than six months pass between Level 1 and Level 2, Level 1 should be repeated. At the end of six months, the level 1 is repeated.

A service provider who advises, trains, or otherwise is involved with a organisation may not certify. We therefore assist you in selecting an accredited certification body.

 

QHSE Compliance
EU

QHSE Management Division Europe

If there is any question that we can answer, please let us know
Christian Ruhe M.Sc.
line management compliance division
+49 (0) 231 / 952 99 4 98