Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems
Implement the right framework for occupational health and safety management and safeguard your workplace by achieving ISO 45001.
Get certified to ISO 45001 with Blue Wolf, a business associate to various accredited certification bodies. A professional, friendly and helpful certification body.
ISO 45001 is the international standard for occupational health and safety management systems. The standard gives guidance for an organization that wants a safe and healthy workplace for their workforce. Lack of management focus on the health and safety needs of workers is a major reason for employee injuries and deaths. In addition, there will be costs, including possible legal costs, disruptions, low morale and many other unwanted outcomes. Every company is accountable for taking strict precautionary measures to protect the workforce and others. After all, the workforce should be treated as an asset and should be protected with the utmost priority.
The fundamental idea behind ISO 45001 was originally established in the year 2013 and was shaped into the standard we know now in 2018. It replaced the previous standard known as BS OHSAS 18001.
By achieving ISO 45001 certification, a company exhibits its constant effort to safeguard its human resources from workplace accidents and hazards with both fatal and non-fatal circumstances. The standard includes identification and monitoring compliance with legal rules and regulations for maintaining a safe workplace for employees. Therefore, an organization avoids committing any illegal or unethical acts that would breach their duty of care.
The top advantages offered for ISO 45001 implementation and certification include the following:
1. Strengthen health and safety management protocols:The system helps to strengthen and maintain a set of health and safety management frameworks. The system improves the present control methods to improve the health and safety of personnel, increase employee awareness and reduce workplace hazards too.
2. Promotes accountability of management towards personnel safety:The standard involves management in directing and leading personnel to optimal health and safety outcomes. The standard encourages management to exhibit appropriate behaviors and awareness and take appropriate measures to minimize hazardous situations. Also, to improve the relationship between management and employees.
3. Increase management and control to ensure legal compliance:The lack of Occupational Health & Safety measures towards employees often force the government to intervene. In such cases, companies may face major penalties. Alongside financial losses, companies can face public backlash and loss of reputation.
4. Reduces employee absenteeism:A strict and coherent occupational health and safety management system increases employee morale and reduces absenteeism. Companies are therefore more able to successfully retain their human resources.
5. Reduce insurance premiums:If an employee is injured or becomes ill, whether fatal or nonfatal, while carrying out their work responsibilities, the company will pay higher insurance premiums and recruit temporary or permanent replacements. The additional costs in such cases can be very high and long-lasting. A proper health and safety management system helps to prevent these extra costs.
6. Enhances reputation:Getting certified by ISO 45001 means a company values its workers and takes all the possible actions to keep them safe while working. It increases the company's reputation, strengthens brand image, and gives a competitive edge.
The context the organization operates in, including strengths and weaknesses and the needs and expectations of interested parties needs to be taken into account when considering content and flow of the Occupational Health & Safety management system. This exercise can also lead the organization to identify risks and opportunities that may affect the organization (positively or negatively) in the near and distant future. These should be documented, and actions determined and implemented. The organization will be in a better position through this process. Sometimes this process is referred to as strategic planning.
The leadership team should identify and communicate all the roles and responsibilities within the organization, and those which other stakeholders need to take. The leadership team should also take responsibility for Occupational Health & Safety outcomes as well. Good Occupational Health & Safety outcomes can never be realized if management is not committed it.
Proper step-by-step planning should be documented and carried out. Planning includes identification of responsibilities and time frames when needed. The additional perspective of monitoring, evaluation and improvement should be taken into account when determining plans.
Risk management is one of the critical aspects needed to prevent injury or illness. A proper risk management program includes identifying hazards, assessing the seriousness of the hazard including considering likelihood and consequence, and determining actions to help reduce or remove the risk. Risk management is a preventative process and should be seen as a great benefit to the running of any organization.
The leadership needs to communicate with employees and other interested parties, including the public where appropriate, to ensure they are aware of programs, rules, and guidelines that will keep them safe. Communication can be in the form of signs, meetings, supervisors, barricades, etc. to keep everyone safe. A key component of ISO 45001 is consultation. Traditionally consultation is seen as safety representatives and safety committees. Whatever consultation program is implemented, employees need to be involved in their own Occupational Health & Safety, including involving them in risk assessments, incident investigations, inspections, etc. Leadership cannot operate an Occupational Health & Safety management system successfully without the support and input of employees. Consultation is also good for employee morale.
There should be enough resources and leadership to monitor the performance of the system and evaluate its effectiveness in terms of Occupational Health & Safety. A required but natural outcome of constant and/or regular monitoring and measurement is continual improvement. All companies must continually improve their occupational health safety outcomes in the face of changing circumstances, changing workforce and changing legislation.
The certification process is as follows:
Commit - A trusted certification body is chosen, engaged, and an audit date is set.
Pre-assessment - If clients wish, an assessment before the stage 1 and 2 audits is performed.
Stage 1 Audit - The management system and documentation are reviewed to ensure everything is in place for the stage 2 audit, including determining whether internal audit and the management review have been performed. An audit report is prepared and issued by the auditor for review. If everything looks good, the auditor confirms the stage 2 audit.
Stage 2 Audit - After addressing any concerns or opportunities for improvement from the stage 1 audit, the stage 2 audit is conducted by the auditor. The auditor checks that the management system is implemented and is compliant with ISO 45001. If there are any non-conformities, these are shared by the auditor. Once non-conformities are addressed and the auditor can confirm that the standard is being met, the auditor recommends the company for certification.
Issuing the certification - With the successful completion of the two stages of audits, the certification body issues the certification.
Surveillance Audits - Every certification lasts for 3 years. The certification body organizes annual audit programs to determine and ensure ongoing compliance.
Blue Wolf is a business associate of various accredited certification bodies that offers a recognized third-party certification program with an annual surveillance audit to ensure 100% ongoing compliance.
Our audit programs are designed to ensure that your management system successfully conforms to the clauses of ISO 45001 as well as the policies and objectives of your company.
Our auditors are friendly, professional, conscientious, efficient, knowledgeable and helpful. Our auditors are respectful and help you have a positive auditing and certification experience.
Our service includes:
Our clients seem to really like our auditors and our audit process.
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“Would give them a 10 out of 10 and would highly recommend them to anybody looking to get ISO certification in the future.
The audit was very very smooth.
The day one audit was helpful, because although there weren’t any findings made he did make some recommendations to our QMS and our on-time delivery matrix which we incorporated on that same day, once again with Lee’s help We updated our QMS same day, got it to the auditor and he was very happy to see the changes we had made, even though they weren’t going to be any findings they were just recommendations, I think it did smooth the process through.
Seth was fantastic, very easy to work with, once we got through the time zone issues, very professional, knew what he was doing, knew where to look, and I assume he knows where the holes typically are. He also made a lot of accommodations to where we are in the world and helping us getting that certification.”
President, Electrical Contact International
“We were very happy with the service, and I would definitely recommend them for anybody who is looking to gain ISO accreditation.
The auditor was very knowledgeable, very understanding, very helpful.
It wasn’t just a scrutiny of your documentation and processes, it was actually a helpful process, constructive in the feedback that was given.
The auditor was very professional throughout the whole process. Very punctual, always on time, ready to go.
Was again open and honest about the whole process, so myself and business partner knew exactly what to expect for each day for each part of the process.
Yes, I would recommend Blue Wolf. They were very professional throughout the whole process. The auditors were very knowledgeable and helpful and made the whole process of the ISO external audit very easy and comfortable, and we would definitely recommend for anyone looking to gain ISO accreditation.”
Founder, Elite Wind.
It’s a very great experience. She (Tanya) helped me a lot and she explained a lot. If there is something that we might need to improve on, she will explain in a very detailed way. It’s a very smooth and very clear process. Definitely recommended.
CEO, HQS Automotive.
Our experience has been that this process in working with the auditors has shown us more ways to improve internally than what we expected
Founder, Art Advertising
One of the best business decisions I think we’ve made in the entire time we’ve been here in the company.
Founder, Art Advertising
When we first started the process of looking at the standard, we were afraid we would have to force our company into a new way of doing almost everything in doing our business. And we were very pleased to find out that the standard was meant to fit how we already were doing things. And Blue Wolf and Seth really helped us in the audit to not feel so intimidated by it, but to understand it, yes that the way we are doing it does fit the standard, and instead of just criticizing where we were coming short, he gave us advice and suggestions on how the standard is actually meant to be used, to improve how we are doing things, not to force us into a certain way of somebody else doing it.
Our experience has been that this process in working with the auditors has shown us more ways to improve internally than what we expected, and we would recommend going through this for anybody that’s considering it.
Founder, Art Advertising
After a lot of research and careful review of our options we chose to work with Blue Wolf, and we know now that we made the right decision. It’s been a great process, and I would recommend to anyone that is considering ISO 9001 to at least have a conversation with them. I don’t think you would regret it at all.
At the very beginning of this process, I think we can safely say we were very nervous about it and apprehensive about doing it. After our auditor Seth Shea arrived, we realized again what a great decision we made. He’s made this process way much easier than we thought it might be, not as scary. And the insight he’s given us, and the observations and suggestions has been one of the most… really one of the best business decisions I think we’ve made in the entire time we’ve been here in the company.
Founder, Art Advertising
Firstly, on behalf of Adam and myself, we would like to thank you both very much for providing us with the support and service during our ISO accreditation and certification process.
Your professional and knowledgeable approach and support has been very much appreciated.
Mechpro
The experience was overwhelmingly really good. I thought we were ready but there were some lightbulb moments. It was a logical process. The auditor was patient. We wanted the certification for areas of opportunity and we had many recommendations. I appreciated the audit. I haven’t heard anything negative out of the process to date. It’s been good.
Affordable Staff
I’ve never been involved in auditing before. Completely new. Was not sure what to expect. The process was seamless. There were some good recommendations. I was made to feel comfortable. The process worked quite well. I’m feeling more than ready for the next audit. There was so much going on at the time of the audit that I just wanted to go back to the audit, it was more relaxing.
Affordable Staff
“One of the greatest things that initially sold me on BLUE WOLF was your approach towards partnering, understanding, and treating us with respect towards where we are at in compliance with the standard.“
“I was nervous about it until we spoke on the phone in the premeeting. Once you started talking about your approach and your process I was sold. But to see it in real life and to see it actually come true was even more (…)”
After his first day of the audit: “I’ve been through so many audits you can’t even count. Your approach is by far superior than any other audit I’ve ever been through. The contrast was night and day. I’ve got some younger people who don’t have quite the same experience as I do, and their ability to feel like they could be participatory, have value and be respected throughout the process was outstanding. I have not made a better choice in picking a company to work with us in an audit process prior to you. You’re going to be here every year if I can help it. And if ownership changes and they want to do something different, I’ll fight to keep this process going because it has so much value.”
Imerys
I’ve never been a part of one of these. I have learned absolutely so much. It was a privilege to be a part of this. I don’t ever want to experience an audit a different way.
Imerys, Quality Manager
If everybody could have an audit experience like this, more and more people would actually consider an ISO certification. Because so many people hear so many things about it, stressful myths, and everyone has a bad auditor experience from somewhere else. If more people could experience an audit this way, they wouldn’t have any reason to fear ISO.
CHS Broadbent, National EMS Director
I’ve seen some really bad crap auditors. Even I learned a whole lot from what we just went through with Seth that I didn’t even understand about the standard before.
Automated Wellhead. Operations manager
“Blue Wolf has been great with providing us with clarity and direction so that our team can focus on the important aspects of our quality and safety management systems. What seemed like a very intimidating process to achieve ISO accreditation was made simple by Blue Wolf and their team. Their knowledge and our processes have added value and elevated our quality and safety program to another level. Thank you, Seth Shea, and the Blue Wolf team for a wonderful ongoing experience.”
Safety Administrator, Clark Bros, Inc.
“Streamlined. Easy to communicate, easy to talk to. Relaxed, didn’t feel pressured. Recommended for future ISO projects.”
Inks Production Engineer, NovaCentrix
“We completed our audit today with 1 minor non-conformance and 2 observations. I would highly recommend Blue Wolf certifications to anyone else your company is working with. Our auditor Seth was so personable, made the audit process as relaxed and comfortable as possible, made our staff feel comfortable talking to him, and he was very thorough in his findings. He makes you feel like you are working together, which is HUGE and really rare in a company/auditor relationship.”
Senior Director, PEO/HR + Payroll Operations, Choice Employer Solutions, Inc.
