Occupational safety and health management systems ISO 45001
CERTIFICATION
A company with a certified Occupational Health and Safety Management System is a company that has decided to commit to making workplaces safer and safe from hazards, protecting staff and ensuring the utmost respect for the safety and health of employees.
BS OHSAS 18001 "Occupational Health and Safety Management System - OHSMS" is a standard of English origin, in force in Italy since 1999, which aims to better manage any kind of health and safety risk related to work activities.
As of March 12, 2018, BS OHSAS 18001 has been replaced by the new UNI ISO 45001:2018 "Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems," a standard with international standing that regulates worker protection practices worldwide and has replaced the pre-existing national schemes after a lengthy development process.
The goal of the Occupational Health and Safety Management System is to ensure that workers can work safely, within a healthy environment and as free of health hazards as possible.
In recent years, the commitment of institutions on the issue of occupational health and safety has been growing, as evidenced also by the introduction of UNI ISO 45001, based on the High Level Structure, which can be integrated with all other new generation management systems, including ISO 9001 (Quality), ISO 14001 (Environment) and ISO 37001 (Anti-corruption). All of the new standards are constructed following the principle of risk-based thinking, which is the risk-based approach that then considers the various potential risk factors and then devises an effective strategy for managing them.
THE BENEFITS.
Implementing an Occupational Health and Safety Management System not only enables compliance with legal requirements, but also brings numerous benefits in terms of employees' personal satisfaction, increased productivity and decreased insurance expenses.
The main benefits that can be obtained are:
- The reduction of workplace accidents and occupational diseases
- Increased productivity due to less sick leave
- The reduction of insurance premium costs
- The generalized improvement in employee morale
- The creation of a corporate culture involving top management of the organization and staff
- A better reputation in the marketplace
- The certainty of meeting regulatory requirements.
WHY CERTIFY
Obtaining Occupational Health and Safety Management System certification is the most effective way to demonstrate compliance with legal requirements and allows the company owner to avoid penalties.
All organizations already certified to BS OHSAS 18001 will have to complete the migration process to UNI ISO 45001 by March 12, 2021, a deadline after which the previous certification will lose its value, as determined by the accreditation bodies that are members of the International Accreditation Forum (IAF).
In addition to the many benefits mentioned above, the adoption of a certified Occupational Health and Safety Management System is also of strategic importance because it helps build a positive company image, which can also influence business and marketing aspects.
WILL MY COMPANY UNDERGO CHANGES?
One of the main concerns for those approaching the certification process for the first time is the thought of having to disrupt their Organization.
The interventions required to properly implement an Occupational Health and Safety Management System actually consist of a number of activities already in place in Organizations, which, for example, follow the directions contained in the regulations of Legislative Decree. 81/2008.
Implementation of the System is often a matter of better organizing what the company already puts into practice and documenting the information required by the standard. In addition, all Organizations that have previously achieved BS OHSAS 18001 certification automatically have some of the tools and systems required to transition to UNI ISO 45001.
HOW THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS TAKES PLACE
The process to achieve Occupational Health and Safety Certification begins with the implementation of the System, which can be done independently or through the support of an external consultant.
Following implementation, ASACERT will verify the System's compliance with the regulations and issue certification that is valid for 3 years, subject to annual verification.
The Audit takes place the first year and is divided into two stages (Stage 1 and Stage 2) at the end of which Certification is issued.
Within 12 months of the initial issuance of Certification, a Surveillance audit is conducted to ensure that the certified system has not changed and is still in compliance. In case of major changes, the Certification Body may decide to make changes to the Certificate in order to make it responsive to the changed situation of the company.
Within one year of the first Surveillance audit, a second Surveillance audit then takes place.
At the end of the third year, the Certificate must be renewed by means of a Renewal Verification, otherwise it will lose its validity.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GET CERTIFICATION
Timelines depend on the level of readiness and compliance of the Management System implemented by the Organization and the size of the company. For more detailed guidance on costs and timelines, contact us and we will be happy to offer any support you need.