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Differences between ISO 45001 and OHSAS 18001

by ISOUpdate.com - Jan 10, 2018

Since its first publication in 1999, OHSAS 18001 has been a recognized occupational health and safety management system (OH & SMS) standard against which management systems can be assessed and certified. 19 years later, a new ISO standard has been released to replace OHSAS 18001; this standard is ISO 45001.

ISO 45001 is an OH SMS standard developed by an ISO Project Committee which was published on March 12th 2018. A number of differences are evident between ISO 45001 and OHSAS 18001. Some of the main differences between the two standards are explored below. The experts at The Registrar Company took the time to dissect the new standard to determine the most pertinent differences between the two standards that you need to know.

The first difference concerns its structure. ISO 45001 is based on the ISO Guide 83 (“Annex SL”) which defines a common high level structure, text and common terms and definitions for the next generation of management systems (e.g. ISO 9001, ISO 14001, etc.). This structure aims to facilitate the implementation process and the integration of several management systems in a harmonized, structured and efficient manner. Such structure is as follows:

Scope
Normative References
Terms and Definitions
Context of the Organization
Leadership
Planning
Support
Operation
Performance Evaluation
Improvement

In the new standard, there is a stronger focus on the organization’s context. With ISO 45001, organizations will have to look beyond their own internal health and safety issues and consider what their interested parties expect from them regarding health and safety.

Read about more differences between OHSAS 18001 and ISO 45001

Read about who needs ISO 45001

Some organizations that use OHSAS 18001 delegate health and safety responsibilities to a safety manager, rather than integrating the system into the organization’s operations. ISO 45001 requires the incorporation of health and safety aspects into the overall management system of the organization, thus driving top management to have a stronger leadership role with respect to the OH&S management system.

ISO 45001 focuses on identifying and controlling risks rather than hazards, as is currently required in OHSAS 18001.

ISO 45001 requires organizations to consider how suppliers and contractors are managing their risks.

In ISO 45001 some fundamental concepts are changed, like risk, worker and workplace. There are also new definitions of terms such as: monitoring, measurement, effectiveness, OH&S performance and process.

The terms “document” and “record” have both been replaced with the term “documented information” in ISO 45001. The standard also states that documented information must be maintained to the extent necessary to have confidence that the processes have been carried out as planned.

In spite of these changes, the overall aim of ISO 45001 remains the same as OHSAS 18001, which is to reduce unacceptable risks and ensure the safety and wellbeing of everyone involved in an organization’s activities.

At The Registrar Company (TRC), the new ISO 45001 standard and its complexity is our top priority. We are working diligently to offer this standard to our current and future clients, so your organization can remain top of class in health and safety. Learn about we can help your organization achieve ISO 45001 certification in 2019.

Read about more differences between OHSAS 18001 and ISO 45001

Read about who needs ISO 45001

Benefits of OHSAS 18001

Resources

by ISOUpdate.com - Mar 18, 2015

Many organizations find themselves in the ethical obligation to improve their occupational health and safety performance.

OHSAS 18001 is an internationally applied British Standard for occupational health and safety management systems (OHSMS). This standard establishes requirements for an organization to control its work-related health and safety hazards and improve their performance, by planning, documenting and implementing a verifiable method for reducing and eliminating hazards in the workplace. The benefits of OHSAS 18001 can help your organization improve health and safety.

Managing occupational health and safety in the workplace brings numerous benefits to all kinds and sizes of organizations. Some of these are:

It guides organizations in their pursue of “zero accidents”.

OHSAS 18001 provides a system to identify and effectively manage occupational health and safety hazards in order to minimize health and safety risk.
It provides tools and techniques to identify potential causes of accidents and helps organizations improve employee awareness of risks.
Incident and accident rates are reduced as a consequence of better control of work-related risks and an improved performance monitoring.
Improves the incident investigation process.

Ensures organizations comply with legal requirements.

In order for organizations to establish and maintain their OHSMS, they must take into account applicable legal requirements.
Ensures organizations commit to comply and communicate all relevant legal information to employees and interested parties.

Improves an organization’s image.

OHSAS 18001 drives organizations to set occupational health and safety as a priority, ensuring that appropriate measures are taken to protect staff, employees and everyone associated with their activities.
The adoption of international best practice in relation to risk management can improve an organization’s image and credibility among stakeholders, regulators, customers, prospective clients and the public in general.
An improved reputation can give organizations a competitive advantage by providing a safe environment to do business.

Improves the workplace environment.

Implementing this standard will show employees that an organization is committed to keeping them safe, therefore improving employee motivation, retention and satisfaction.
OHSAS 18001 can help organizations put in place clear procedures to decrease absenteeism.
Improvement of communication and training will bring greater involvement and commitment from everyone.

Helps organizations save money.

Implementing OHSAS 18001 reduces the likelihood of fines and prosecutions.
By reducing accident and incident rates and work-related illnesses, it also reduces all the costs associated with them (costly medical claims, lost working days, time and money spent on investigation and paperwork).
This standard is recognized by insurers which can bring a decrease in insurance premiums.

Another benefit of OHSAS 18001 is that the standard can be adopted by any organization, regardless of its size or nature, whether it’s a high risk or low risk businesses in the private or public sector.

This standard is compatible with ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 management systems standards, making it easy to integrate it with existing management systems, thus contributing to the improvement of an organization’s overall business performances.