Occupational health and safety management system certification: ISO 45001

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What is ISO 45001: OHS management ?

ISO 45001 is an international standard aimed at implementing an Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) management system.

The current version of ISO 45001 dates from 12 March 2018 and was published after 5 years’ work.

Occupational health and safety management systems (OHS) are not mandatory in France, so ISO 45001 certification is voluntary. But by having your organisation ISO 45001 certified, you actively encourage the establishment and awareness of integrated QSE (Quality, Safety and Environment) approaches.

Therefore, your image will be enhanced, particularly in relation to stakeholders (employees, customers and suppliers).

The OHS requirements of ISO 45001:2018

It defines specific requirements in terms of an Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) management system, allowing an organisation to:

Develop and implement an Occupational Health and Safety management system
Establish objectives which take into account the legal requirements and information about risks relating to the OHS.

The advantages of an integrated system with a high-level structure (HLS)

Just like the ISO 9001 (quality management), ISO 14001 (environmental management) and ISO 50001 (energy management) standards, ISO 45001 is part of the management systems framework based on the continuous improvement principle and approach (to Occupational Health and Safety Systems in this case).

It shares with these other standards a High-Level Structure, a basic text, identical terms and definitions: which will facilitate the transition to ISO 45001.

Regardless of the company's activity, the requirements of an SME are the same, regardless of its level of control of OHS issues.

ISO 45001:2018 replaces OHSAS 18001

ISO 45001 replaces the OHSAS 18001 standard (short for Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series), which was the international framework for Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) management systems.

Under no circumstances does it cover the safety of products or services.

ISO 45001 is one of the ISO standards which is the most eagerly awaited internationally: it is the world’s first international standard dealing with occupational health and safety.

It aims to:
Manage risks in a global and structured way
Reduce the number of workplace accidents of your employees
Reduce the direct and indirect costs of them for your organisation (business interruption, insurance premiums, etc.)
While improving productivity thanks to better working conditions (fewer absences, lower staff turnover rate, etc.).

The differences between ISO 45001 and OHSAS 18001

Among the main differences between these two standards are:

ISO 45001 focuses on the interaction between the organisation and the business environment (OHSAS 18001 focused on managing OHS hazards)
ISO 45001 takes a process approach (whereas OHSAS takes a procedural approach)
ISO 45001 considers OHS risks and opportunities (whereas the OHSAS focuses only on risks)
ISO 45001 includes interested parties or stakeholders unlike OHSAS 18001.

Despite the differences in approach between these two international standards, if your Occupational Health and Work management system is OHSAS 18001 certified, you will be able to migrate more easily to become ISO 45001 certified.

How to migrate from OHSAS 18001 to ISO 45001:2018?

To migrate from OHSAS 18001, we recommend you follow the following procedure:

Analysis of stakeholders (individuals or organisations that may have an impact on your organisation’s activities) and internal and external factors that may have an impact on your activities.
Study relating to the control of these risks thanks to your OHS management system.
Definition of the scope of the system, while taking into account that of the objectives of your OHS management system.
Use of this information to put in place your processes, assess/evaluate the risks and define the key performance indicators (KPIs) for the processes.

Download the ISO 45001 brochure

Who should attend ISO 45001: OHS management

Construction, processing and services companies, in all sectors (managers, QSE managers, H&S managers, maintenance managers, human resources managers).

Periodicity

The validity period of ISO 45001 certification – Occupational Health and Safety Management System – is 3 years, subject to annual monitoring audits being performed.

Renewal of the certification requires a renewal audit, which is performed by a different auditor and which aims to confirm that there is no major non-conformity with the requirements of the ISO 45001 standard.

You can also have the renewal carried out by another certification body.

Accreditation

This service is carried out under COFRAC accreditation (according to ISO 17021-1) for the certification of management systems.

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Accreditation No. 4-0552 - scope available on the www.cofrac.fr website.

Procedures for obtaining ISO 45001 (OHS) certification

The ISO 45001 certification process is voluntary. However, in order to submit your certification application under the best conditions, to facilitate its acquisition, and to better meet the requirements of the ISO 45001 standard, we recommend:

That your Occupational Health and Safety management system has been running for 6 months,
That your Occupational Health and Safety management system has also been audited internally at least once,
That a management review has been carried out.

QHSE Certification (Quality - Health & Safety - Environment)
It provides proof of the performance of your organization on the Quality (ISO 9001), Occupational Health & Safey (ISO 45001) and Environmental (ISO 14001) aspects.
Discover the advantages of an integrated approach in our brochure.

Download the QHSE brochure

The benefits of ISO 45001: OHS management

Here is a list of some of the benefits for an ISO 45001 certified organisation:
Reduction in the number of workplace accidents.
Reduction in direct and indirect costs.
Increased productivity and performance.
Implementation of global and structured risk management.
Demonstration of your commitment to improving the health and safety of your employees.
Enhancement of your image with regard to your partners, clients and customers.

Certification of your Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) management system according to the ISO 45001:2018 standard is proof and recognition of your engagement and the results obtained with respect to your employees and your partners.

Steps and processes

To obtain ISO 45001 (OHS) certification, Apave Certification supports you during the 6 stages leading to the issue of the certificate

Initial certification request
Scheduling the audit between the audited organisation and Apave Certification: I plan my audit
Initial certification audit
ISO certification decision
Issuance of the certificate, once you have been ISO certified
Annual follow-up audit to check for any non-conformities

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Your questions

Below you will find the most frequently asked questions. If you cannot find the answer to your question, please contact us!

Apave Certification has requested its accreditation from COFRAC for ISO 45001. In the course of 2021, we should be able to offer ISO 45001 audits under COFRAC accreditation.

ISO 45001 sets a framework for: improving employee safety / reducing risks in the workplace / creating safer and healthier working conditions / developing a safety culture within the company.