ISO 45001 is a global standard from the International Organization for Standardization for occupational health and safety management systems. Overall, the intended outcome of the ISO 45001 standard is to prevent work-related injuries to workers and provide a safe work environment. To comply with the ISO 45001 standard, there is a set of requirements the company needs to meet. These requirements are divided into ten clauses that are designed to provide you with a defined structure of what measures are to be taken. The ISO 45001 Standard can be purchased online.
Why is it important?
In the year 2017, private industry employers reported 2.8 million nonfatal injuries and illnesses at the workplace according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Every company in the world wants to avoid and prevent fatalities, no doubt about that. Nobody wants their employees to get hurt and ill. The issue is that business owners are sometimes lost when it comes to prevention and risk assessment. They need guidance, help, structure. The ISO 45001 standard is important as it provides all of those things and more. It is a complete framework that businesses can use to achieve their safety goals.
How do you become certified?
Becoming certified to ISO 45001 requires your company to build and implement a management system based on the standard’s guidelines. Getting acquainted with the requirements of the ISO 45001 standard is the first step. You can assign someone from your company to take the lead on this project. Alternatively, your best option is to outsource this project to a consultant that will help you build a system customized to your company and scope of work. Once your occupational health and safety management system is set up, it’s time to conduct the following:
- Internal audit: this is conducted within the organization. In a nutshell, internal audits help you prepare for external audits. It is used to assess readiness for ISO certification and conformity to the requirements of the ISO standard. This is a great opportunity to figure out what requirements are missing or need work.
- Management review: management needs to review the management system and make sure it is running effectively. Data should be used from the internal audit/s. The information needs to be communicated to the relevant parties.
The final step is choosing an accredited registrar just like us to conduct an external audit and provide certification to the ISO 45001 standard. If you are interested in certifying your company to ISO 45001, you can reach out to us here.
