Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series (OHSAS) 18001 Provides occupational safety and security to ensure the good health of employees and workers of any organization. It is a collection of British standards and was introduced in 1999. It was effective till March 2018, when the iso 45001 transition occurred. It is a revised version of the previous one focusing on employees’ good health. It directs to do so by reducing occupational injuries and diseases. ISO 45001 is structured to allow employers to improve safety at the workplace and reduce occupational risks and hazards. It follows the High-Level Structure (HLS), allowing them to follow the standard.
Why is the iso 45001 transition important?
About 2.78 million people lose their lives due to occupational accidents or diseases. Apart from this, 374 million people suffer non-fatal work-related injuries, leading to absence from work. Some injuries also leave people crippled, stopping them from working altogether. ISO 45001 is implemented o reduce these numbers and to provide workplace safety.
To prevent accidents and ensure a healthy work environment, employers should implement ISO 45001 or be a part of the iso 45001 transition. It was implemented in 2018 with three years granted to the organizations to make the switch.
Differences between OHSAS 18001 and ISO 45001
Here are the differences between the two standards.
- HLS adoption
ISO 45001 has higher adoption of HLS or High-Level Safety. It ensures that the desired output is delivered with ISO standards. It also enables organizations to integrate this new standard with the pre-existing ISO standards.
- Involvement of top management
ISO 45001 lays stress on the involvement of the top management officials of a business. It advocates for the health and safety of the entire organizational culture by bringing management people into action. They are expected to run frequent checks, take part in safety audits, attend feedback sessions, take preventive measures, offer praise and rewards.
- Building a healthy culture
The new standard urges employees to be aware of Preventive safety measures and the importance of healthy work culture. Since employees are an important asset to any organization, educating them means building a healthy system ready for success.
- Identifying potential risks and opportunities
The new ISO 45001 Standard encourages identifying potential risks and opportunities within the company. Identifying risks help prevent any mishappening to a great extent. Identifying opportunities enable the company to grow consistently and show sustainable improvement.
The new standard considers the health and safety of employees and workers in physical terms. However, it is designed flexibility to allow organizations to include mental health requirements for the well-being of the staff.
