ISO 45001: Emerging Standards in Safety Training
In March 2018, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) published ISO 45001: Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems – Requirements with Guidance for Use, the world’s first International Standard addressing workplace health and safety. This new standard replaces OHSAS 18001, which was developed in 1999 as a framework to help organizations align workplace health and safety with internationally recognized best practices.
While OHSAS 18001 intended to increase general occupational health and safety (OHS) awareness, the goal of ISO 45001 is to bring about even more effective management systems that can be created and adjusted to suit the needs of any size company in any industry.
While adherence to the new standard is not mandatory, keep in mind that if you currently carry a third-party certification under OHSAS 18001, you will need to transition to ISO 45001 by March 12, 2021, when OHSAS 18001 is officially phased out.
How Occupational Health and Safety is Changing
More than 157 million U.S. civilians were employed in 2019, which is an increase of more than 17 million from 2009. With a larger workforce putting in longer days, more overtime and regularly working on weekends, it makes sense the way companies are approaching occupational health and safety is changing as well. Below are a few ways OHS has evolved:
Prevention vs. detection
When you think of occupational health and safety you likely think of how an employee recognizes hazards and responds to workplace accidents. However, the field is changing and is becoming more about prevention and hazard identification.
OHS experts have started focusing on educating employees and identifying potential issues rather than on what is essentially damage control. The hope is that taking a prevention-based approach and trying to stop an accident from ever happening will help companies save the time and money that comes along with mitigating the effects of workplace accidents.
Acknowledging mental health needs
For years, occupational health and safety has addressed the potential physical risks within various working environments. Mental health concerns have only recently become more acknowledged by employers and a general stigmatization of mental illnesses - from anxiety and depression to more severe conditions - remains in most workplaces.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, nearly one in five U.S. adults suffer from some type of mental illness. Poor mental health can negatively affect employee productivity, performance and even physical capability, leading to more workplace accidents. More companies have begun incorporating mental health programs into their overall OHS programs, which not only provides support for struggling workers, but also shows that you, as an employer, care about employee wellbeing.
More safety professionals
While many people entering the workforce or choosing a career path may not immediately consider occupational health and safety, employers are recognizing the importance of these positions. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a positive job outlook for the industry over the next decade.
In 2019, the median pay for the OHS field was $70,480 while the median pay across all industries was around $40,000. Additionally, the projected national employment growth rate from 2019-2029 is currently 3.7%. During that same time, employment of OHS professionals is expected to grow 4%.
Advancements in PPE
Just as we have seen advancements in watches, fitness trackers and numerous other forms of smart wearable technology, smart PPE has recently come onto the scene to help prevent injuries, reduce costs and improve worker productivity.
From things as simple as improved GPS trackers to helmets and outerwear that can monitor an employee’s vital signs, smart PPE provides real-time stats that could help employers identify accidents or unsafe conditions as soon as they occur.
Increased focus on retraining
You have no doubt heard the phrase “practice makes perfect” throughout the course of your life. There is a reason this mantra is often repeated — it is actually true. In fact, as early as 1885, research was being conducted to show how repetition helps with the retention of information.
The same concept applies to training. Repeating training courses increases the likelihood of retaining the information, making for a more effective employee. More companies are implementing annual retraining programs to refresh employee skills, ensuring better awareness and reducing incidents.
How ISO 45001 is Improving Safety Standards
Since 1999, OHSAS 18001 has been internationally recognized, having been created by the British Standards Institution, the world’s first national standard body and an instrumental part of the formation of ISO. Now, ISO 45001 serves as a replacement, drawing from OHSAS 18001 but bringing even more effective management systems to organizations world-wide.
There are many key differences between ISO 45001 and OHSAS 18001 that adopters will want to pay attention to. These include:
Commitment from management
As with any organizational plan, fostering a culture of safety needs to start with leadership. Implementing a top-down commitment to safety makes it more likely that lower-level employees embrace any changes made.
Under OHSAS 18001, management positions took more of a “backseat” approach, primarily involving themselves only in oversight and employee review. With the implementation of ISO 45001, employees at all levels are now responsible for taking an active, engaged role in safety.
A proactive vs. reactive approach
As the Chairman of ISO/PC 283, the committee that developed ISO 45001, David Smith best summarizes the new standard’s proactive approach, saying, “Businesses need to ensure they manage all their risks to survive and thrive. OHS is a key aspect, which every business has to manage proactively."
Process-based clauses
One of the main goals of ISO 45001 is providing organizations the freedom to create and implement an OHS program that best suits their needs. Therefore, the focus is less on the specific procedures implemented by a company and more about the processes used by each company.
While specific procedural requirements are not included in ISO 45001, this new standard does still require organizations to document procedures in an effective way. They are simply given much more freedom in the specifics of doing so.
Framework structure
Perhaps one of the biggest differences is in the structure of the new standard. Because OHSAS 18001 was not an official ISO standard, the management system platform was not required to match existing ISO standards.
ISO 45001 adopts Annex SL, meaning this new standard shares a structure, terms and definitions with other international standards such as the ISO 9000 series and the ISO 14000 series. If you already utilize these previous standards, you will simply need to fill in any gaps in order to fully implement ISO 45001. If your organization is new to Annex SL, it will take a bit more time and understanding to fully grasp all the requirements.
Dynamic clauses
When creating a safety program, the details of your program may look very different from others’ due to the specific potential hazards existing in your industry. For instance, a university’s safety program will likely differ greatly from that of a construction company. Because of this, a strict and rigid set of standards does not make sense.
ISO 45001 does not outline specific criteria for OHS performance and, in fact, does not even need to be used as a whole. Since every clause of ISO 45001 is dynamic and organizations can implement part or all of the standard, safety programs become more practically applicable. This flexibility should make it easier to design — and implement — appropriate and effective health and safety programs.
As the unofficial standard for two decades, there are certainly some aspects of OHSAS 18001 that have been successful and did remain in the creation of ISO 45001. The overall intent of creating a framework for managing the prevention of employee injuries, illnesses and fatalities is the same, as is the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle. Legal requirements, awareness and competency requirements, monitoring, improvement objectives, and needed resources also all remain similar to OHSAS 18001.
Getting Started with ISO 45001
Now that we have introduced you to some of the details surrounding the new ISO 45001 standard, you need to understand how it can help you and some of the options you have regarding implementation.
How it can help your company
The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates 2.78 million fatalities occur each year from work-related accidents, injuries and diseases, on top of an additional 374 million non-fatal accidents. Implementing an effective OHS management system promotes worker safety and sets forth guidance for continual improvement.
When workers are healthy, absenteeism and work-related stress decreases, allowing worker productivity to improve. Healthier and safer workers can also lead to reduced insurance premiums, helping protect your bottom line.
From an outsider’s perspective, seeing that your company uses the most up-to-date OHS standard may set you apart from competitors, boosting your reputation within your industry. Additionally, your employees will know you have their best interests in mind, helping retention and potentially improving recruiting.
How to implement ISO 45001
When choosing any new system, you want the transition process to be as painless as possible. The ASSP created a simple guide to ISO 45001, which can help you with implementation regardless of which system you are currently using.
The five steps for implementing ISO 45001 are:
- Understanding the requirements of ISO 45001
- Examining your current OHS management system (OHSMS)
- Discussing with all stakeholders
- Aligning standards with business goals
- Developing or improving your OHSMS
Remember, if you already utilize the Annex SL framework, you will simply need to fill in any gaps from the new standard. If you are not using Annex SL, ISO 45001 implementation will be more difficult and time consuming.
How to become ISO 45001 certified
To start, we want to make it clear that you are not required to have your company 45001 certified. The standard is not a legal requirement so you do not necessarily need to invest the time and money it takes to be certified. In fact, adopting ISO 45001 at all is not a requirement.
However, being the new international standard, adoption demonstrates commitment to your company’s health and safety performance. Carrying an ISO 45001 certification furthers shows your customers or partners that employee safety is of utmost concern.
Keep in mind that if you are currently OHSAS 18001 certified, you will need to migrate to ISO 45001 by March 12, 2021 to retain that certification.
If you are interested in receiving ISO 45001 certification, you will need to complete the implementation steps and then contact a certification body to perform third-party audits. Once you become certified, you will also be subject to regular audits in the future to ensure continued compliance.
How to receive ISO 45001 training
Just like ISO 45001 certification, you are not required to take any sort of training courses to make the switch. However, because the standard does not read like a step-by-step guide, you may want to consider some type of training to make implementation easier, if for no other reason.
There are many types of ISO 45001 training available, depending on what you are looking to achieve. From basic awareness or internal auditing to conversion auditing and even Annex SL training, taking some level of 45001 training may be beneficial for your organization.
Wrapping up ISO 45001
You have now gained a new understanding of ISO 45001, some of its major changes from OHSAS 18001, and how you and your company could benefit from this new International Standard. Though not a requirement for any organization, ISO 45001 is considered the new gold standard for health and safety programs.
Whether or not you decide to adopt ISO 45001, you should be implementing company-wide safety training in order to remain compliant with required, and suggested, safety standards. Online safety training makes it easy to get your entire organization trained in various OSHA, EHS and even HR topics.
Consider making the switch to ISO 45001 before March 12, 2021, to demonstrate to your employees, customers and partners that you are putting your worker safety first. Contact SafetySkills today to see how we can help you augment your safety training program to keep up with evolving standards.