ISO 45001:2018 | Occupational Health & Safety Management

What is ISO 45001?

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.

What are the main benefits of achieving ISO 45001?

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.

What are the main requirements for ISO 45001?

1. Context of the organization

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.

2. Leadership

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.

3. Planning

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.

4. Risk management:

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.

5. Consultation and communication:

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.

6. Constant evaluation and continual improvement

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.

Certification Process

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is ISO 45001?

ISO 45001 is a global standard for occupational health and safety management systems. The standard ensures a company’s ethical conduct in protecting the health and safety of its workforce by implementing a well-developed and effective course of action. By achieving ISO 45001, a company is given the opportunity to exhibit its constant effort to safeguard its human resources from workplace accidents, illness and hazards with both fatal and non-fatal circumstances.

2. How long does it take to complete the process?

It depends on the type and size of your company. Generally, it takes up to six months and in some cases one year to get ready for ISO certification.
Audit days are determined from other standards and industry mandatory documents. Factors that increase or decrease the number of audit days include the number of personnel, the level of risk, the type of industry your organization belongs to, and consideration of various factors (simplifications or complications) that help to understand the complexity or your organization. All of this to ensure there is adequate audit time to determine compliance to ISO 45001.

3. What are some of the benefits of ISO 45001 certification?

● Employee protection and employee retention
● Strengthen risk management systems
● Employee awareness
● Management accountability
● International recognition and reputation
● Employee satisfaction
● Reduced absenteeism.

4. How much does it cost?

The cost to get certified depends primarily on the number of audit days as previously addressed above.
Each certification body determines their own day rate. The rates can vary depending on the standard, the availability of auditors and the amount auditors charge the certification body. Additional factors that affect cost are the certification body’s accreditation fees, admin costs, and other costs as outlined in their proposal. It is important to be aware of additional fees as they can add up. In some cases, a certification body’s day rate may be low, but additional fees can be high, so do your due diligence. Some certification bodies you may notice will charge premium pricing based on how they perceive themselves in the marketplace, however all certification bodies have the same credibility anywhere in the world because of their accreditation. Before choosing an accreditation body, it may be necessary to check with your customers if they care about the name of the certification body. It is very unlikely your customer cares about the name however as long as it is an accredited certification body.
Other costs can be the cost of travel including food, accommodation, etc. for the duration of the audit.

Client Testimonials

See what our clients have to say about Blue Wolf

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.

Adam

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.

Tracey Costin

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.

Eva Judge

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.”

Joseph Shushok

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.

Jama Morrison

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.

Milo Fruk

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.

Nick Maes

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.”

Cynthia Sayer

Safety Administrator, Clark Bros, Inc.

“Streamlined. Easy to communicate, easy to talk to. Relaxed, didn’t feel pressured. Recommended for future ISO projects.”

Andrew Stewart

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.”

Kerry Ashby

Senior Director, PEO/HR + Payroll Operations, Choice Employer Solutions, Inc.

ISO 45001: 2018

ISO 45001:2018 - Achieve the Global Standard For Occupational Health and Safety