What is ISO 45001:2018 Occupational Health and Safety?

Introduction

Occupational health and safety is an important responsibility for every organization. Workplace hazards, unsafe practices and ineffective controls can contribute to injuries, ill health and other serious consequences for workers and organizations.

ISO 45001:2018 provides a framework for organizations to manage occupational health and safety through a structured Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSMS). It helps organizations identify hazards, manage OH&S risks and establish processes that support safer and healthier workplaces.

Organizations can use an OHSMS to take a systematic approach to occupational health and safety rather than responding to issues only after incidents occur.

For professionals who want to develop auditing skills related to an OHSMS, ISO 45001:2018 OHSMS Lead Auditor training provides an opportunity to develop knowledge and skills related to auditing an Occupational Health and Safety Management System.

What Is an Occupational Health and Safety Management System?

An Occupational Health and Safety Management System is a structured set of processes and practices that an organization uses to manage workplace health and safety.

Rather than treating occupational health and safety as a collection of separate activities, an OHSMS provides a systematic approach to identifying hazards, assessing risks and establishing appropriate controls.

An effective management system also helps organizations establish responsibilities, monitor performance and continually improve the way occupational health and safety is managed.

The objective is to create working conditions where occupational health and safety risks are appropriately identified and managed.

ISO 45001 provides organizations with a recognized framework for establishing, implementing, maintaining and improving this management system.

What Is the Purpose of ISO 45001?

The purpose of ISO 45001 is to provide organizations with a systematic approach to managing occupational health and safety.

Instead of focusing only on responding to workplace incidents after they occur, an OHSMS encourages organizations to identify hazards and consider OH&S risks as part of their management processes.

ISO 45001 can help an organization establish processes for occupational health and safety, clarify responsibilities and continually evaluate opportunities for improvement.

The standard provides a framework that can be integrated into the organization’s wider management practices while maintaining a clear focus on occupational health and safety.

Benefits of an Occupational Health and Safety Management System

Implementing an Occupational Health and Safety Management System can help an organization manage workplace health and safety in a more structured way.

1. Systematic Hazard Identification

An OHSMS provides a structured approach to identifying workplace hazards rather than relying only on corrective action after an incident occurs.

2. Management of OH&S Risks

Organizations can establish processes for assessing and managing occupational health and safety risks associated with their activities and working environment.

3. Clear Responsibilities

A structured management system can help clarify responsibilities and accountability for occupational health and safety across different levels of an organization.

4. Improved Safety Awareness

Implementing an OHSMS can support greater awareness of workplace health and safety responsibilities among workers and management.

5. Monitoring OH&S Performance

Organizations can establish processes for monitoring and evaluating their occupational health and safety performance and identifying areas that require attention.

6. Continual Improvement

ISO 45001 supports a systematic approach to continually improving an organization’s Occupational Health and Safety Management System and OH&S performance.

ISO 45001 Lead Auditor Training

Professionals who want to develop skills in auditing Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems can undertake ISO 45001 Lead Auditor training.

The training focuses on developing knowledge and skills needed to perform management system audits against ISO 45001.

This includes developing auditing skills associated with activities such as:

• Planning an OHSMS audit
• Conducting audit activities
• Collecting and evaluating audit evidence
• Identifying audit findings
• Reporting audit results
• Following up audit activities

Lead Auditor training can also help learners understand first-, second- and third-party management system auditing.

You can learn more about the ISO 45001:2018 OHSMS Lead Auditor training course.

For a detailed explanation of this pathway, read How to Become an ISO 45001 Lead Auditor.

Why Choose 3FOLD Training?

3FOLD Training is a CQI IRCA Approved Training Partner offering ISO 45001:2018 OHSMS Lead Auditor training.

The training is designed to develop the knowledge and auditing skills required to perform first-, second- and third-party audits of an Occupational Health and Safety Management System against ISO 45001.

Training resources include learning materials and activities that support learners in understanding both the standard and the management system auditing process.

Professionals can review the ISO 45001:2018 OHSMS Lead Auditor course for more information about the training.

You can also check the course calendar for upcoming training options.

Conclusion

ISO 45001:2018 provides organizations with a structured framework for managing occupational health and safety.

An Occupational Health and Safety Management System helps organizations identify hazards, manage OH&S risks, establish responsibilities, monitor performance and continually improve their approach to workplace health and safety.

For professionals who want to move beyond understanding the standard and develop management system auditing skills, ISO 45001 Lead Auditor training provides a pathway to learn how OHSMS audits are planned, conducted, reported and followed up.