OHSAS 18001 is a consensus standard developed in 1999 by an independent group of national standards bodies and certification bodies (registrars). OHSAS stands for Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series. OHSAS 18001 is structured the same way as ISO 14001, the environmental management system standard, and has essentially the same elements. It was specifically developed to be compatible with ISO 9001, the quality management system standard, and ISO 14001 to allow companies to develop and register integrated quality, environmental and occupational safety and health management systems
Benefits of OHSAS 18001 for organizations
Like registration to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, registration to OHSAS 18001 can offer companies a number of benefits.
• OHSAS 18001 certification has a positive impact on businesses of all sizes and in all industry sectors.
• OSHMS (Occupational Safety & Health Management System) applies to organizations seeking to prioritize occupational safety and health practices and methods;
• Through OSHMS allows organizations to apply OHSAS 18001 2007, Loss Control or ILO-OSH, Z-10, and other recognizable systems as these are internationally recognize (as occupational health and safety management systems best practices).
• OHSAS can provide a basis for organizations to implement health and safety through reduction of risks by identifying and acting on work relating hazards.
• Organizations that have implemented a system to improve the management of health and safety practices have reported reduced improved employee safety awareness, fewer accidents and reduced costs.
• OHSAS 18001 provides a structure companies can use to integrate quality, environmental and safety and health program management for increased management efficiencies.
• Strong interconnection between environmental and safety and health programs in areas such as emergency planning and risk assessment.
• Far from being a marketing tool, the real and proven benefits of certification are plain to see.
• The fundamentals of certification will make your company more efficient and increase your reputation and competitive edge.
• Effective safety and health programs earn positive returns on their health and safety investment
• In many industries it has already become a basic requirement for doing business.
• Increased safety awareness, efficiency, a real strengthening of your position in the marketplace and increased revenue are direct results of achieving certification.
• Reduce liability, worker's compensation and health costs;
• Reduced risk of citations/penalties
Benefits of OHSAS 18001 for staff
• EHS managers can’t be every place at the same time -
• Provides tools to ensure health & safety is everyone's responsibility
• Integrate health and safety into all aspects of your business
• Improved performance through policies and procedures
• Reducing work-related accidents and ill-health and the costs associated with them
• Improving performance through heightened employee morale and adherence to policies and procedures
• Reinforcing a responsible and well-managed reputation with customers, stakeholders, and communities
• OHSAS 18001 provides a structure to incorporate health and safety into the business
• Includes health and safety impacts as part of the business process and planning activities and achieving the goal of an accident-free workplace
• Reduce workplace injuries; accidents and illness
• Decrease loss of work hours; and
key areas are addressed by OHSAS 18001
Planning for hazard identification, risk assessment and risk control
OHSAS management program
Structure and responsibility
Training, awareness and competence
Consultation and communication
Operational control
Emergency preparedness and response
Performance measuring, monitoring and improvement
