ISO 45001 provides practical solutions for worker safety. It is a global standard for worker safety and inspections. This can be used in all industries’ global supply chains.
This standard gives a framework for OSH goals to be effectively managed. It is useful for those who manage, use, or benefit from the global supply chain. Similar to ISO 9000 or ISO 14000 which provided consensus solutions on questions related to quality management and protection of the environment in global markets, ISO 45001 is designed to improve worker safety.
This is a time of change in the standards community. You might be asking, “What next?”. Below are the steps :
- Understanding ISO 45001 Management Systems and OSH Management Systems
Understanding its purpose and how it can help your company is the first step towards implementing ISO 45001.
Start by learning about the basics of a management system and how to use it to benefit employees as well as the organization to improve safety and performance as risk management.
You should then take the time to learn about ISO 45001. You can use the 11 success factors provided by ISO 45001 to guide you in implementing an OSH management system.
A deeper understanding of ISO 45001 and OSH management systems will help you to build a compelling business case for why your organizations should implement this standard. Knowing the requirements of ISO 45001 will help you understand the impact it could have on your bottom line, and communicate that to your executives.
It’s a competitive advantage and organizations that can leverage it will outperform others.
- Examine Your Current System
It is important to review the standards and systems already in place to help you understand how ISO 45001 will fit in a safety management program. Several organizations have adopted ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. These standards use the same core language of ISO 45001. The integration of 45001 can be easier if your company is already using ISO 9000, ISO 14001, and is familiar with this approach to management.
- Engage stakeholders
Implementing ISO 45001 may lead to organizational transformation. Like any change, individual and group members will be affected in many ways. Some people may be supportive of the changes, while others may not. Collect input from the whole organization to understand the various perspectives of people about safety and risk.
In addition to gathering information from different perspectives, engaging stakeholders can also foster a culture in which everyone feels they are part of the safety management system.
This stage is critical to get the attention of leadership and to educate them about why ISO 45001 may be a good idea. To help executives make informed decisions, explain the financial and operational impacts of this system to them.
- Priorities and Goals
You can start to identify priorities for your OSH management systems and safety goals.
Organizations can align the implementation with their business goals. By aligning ISO 45001 to business objectives regarding occupational safety and health, businesses can establish metrics to measure success and make changes over time.
- Improve Your OSH Management System
You can either create an OSH management program that is tailored to your business or improve upon an existing one by following the four steps. This process will allow you to gather a team capable and able to execute the plan. Once ISO 45001 is in place, your entire team can track and compare their performance to the goals and targets that have been set. This allows them to continuously improve safety and business performance within your organization.
