Prepare for ISO 45001: the new health and safety management standard

Statistics from the International Labour Association have revealed that more than 6,300 people die each day from work-related accidents or diseases – which amounts to nearly 2.3million each year.

Injuries and illnesses can result in losses including staff absence, early retirements and rising insurance premiums, so the burden for both employers and the wider economy can be significant.

To help to combat the problem, ISO has developed a new standard for health and safety, ISO 45001, which is replacing the current standard, BS OHSAS 18001.

The new standard, just like the old one, provides a framework of how to manage health and safety within an organisation.

The UK’s national standards body has recently published a new draft of ISO 45001 for consultation purposes. It is very similar to the current BS OHSAS 18001 in what it requires for the management of health and safety, and follows the same the structure as the latest version of the quality (ISO 9001) and environmental (ISO 14001) standards.

The new standard will focus on the following aspects:

– Reduce the risks to personnel and additional relevant parties

– Create a focus of continual improvement so as to constantly seek to improve health and safety standards in the workplace.

– Ensure that all activities carried out, along with a company’s health and safety policy, are in line with an internationally recognised standard

Providing the standard passes through the consultation process without major change, it should be published in November 2017.

However, if changes are required, the publication date could be as late as March 2018.

If an organisation is certified to BS OHSAS 18001 then they will have to migrate to ISO 45001, so it’s important organisations are aware of their changes and responsibilities when the new standard comes into force.

However, there will be a three-year transition period to achieve this, similar to that for the recent change in ISO 9001.

To discuss how Aegis can support you or your organisation implement the new standard, please call 01772 736 522 or email admin@aegis-services-ltd.co.uk