ISO 45001 is the international standard for Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) Management System. It provides practical and actionable solutions for the continual improvement of the health and safety of employees and assessing and controlling the risks and opportunities a company might face.
When it comes to obtaining the ISO 4500 certification, a lot of companies believe that the standard only benefits large organisations. That’s far from the truth. The standard was designed to benefit any organisation, regardless of its size, type, or nature.
Let’s discuss the purpose of ISO 45001 and how it can benefit your business, no matter the size.
Why Should You Get Your ISO 45001 Certification
While you are not required by law to implement the ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems or other similar management system standards, they can provide a clear framework for ensuring safety at work. And, that can benefit your company in various ways.
- Standards such as ISO 45001 can make it easier to identify and prevent occupational health and safety (OH&S) risks;
- They reduce the number of accidents, their overall costs, downtime, and your insurance premiums;
- It encourages the involvement of the structures of your organisation, from top management to project-based employees;
- It shows customers, stakeholders, and other interested parties that you are committed to creating a work environment where the risk of accident or illness is minimised.
So, What’s the Purpose of ISO 45001
A lot of small businesses see the ISO 45001 standard as a bureaucratic hassle that they can do without. They assume that if they are a small company, then they are low risk and can demonstrate effective risk management without a formal and structured framework.
The truth of the matter is that the purpose of ISO 45001 isn’t to complicate your flow with unnecessary documentation but to give you a clear and proactive approach that will make it simpler to identify hazards, assess risks, and ultimately make your organisation safer and better for your employees. By implementing standards such as ISO 45001, you are paving the way to fewer workplace injuries and illnesses.
As such, the goal of an ISO audit isn’t only to disrupt your processes and force you to fix the systems that are not compliant, but also to improve any shortages. In the end, the ultimate goal of these types of management system standards is to help companies, big or small, improve their productivity and performance.
Other Benefits of Implementing ISO 45001
- It Boosts Your Organisation’s Leadership Position
Implementing the most sophisticated occupational health and safety standard will position your business as an industry leader. Moreover, by demonstrating that you are actively involved in creating a better environment for your employees, you are setting yourself apart from the competition and gaining the trust of your audience.
- Encourages Management Involvement and Accountability
The ISO 45001 standard doesn’t only affect the operations of your business but the high-level structure too. This standard requires a commitment to safety from top to down, meaning that every part of your organisation plays a role in implementing and maintaining it. Moreover, the ISO 45001 will hold top management accountable if employees get sick or injured at work, forcing them to pay close attention to hazard identification and risk assessment.
- It Helps You Prevent Risks and Identify Opportunities
Unlike the OHSAS 18001 standard that only deals with the known risks, ISO 45001 not only helps identify the risks your organisation faces and avoid them but also recognizes the opportunities for improving workplace safety. It’s a more proactive approach as this standard requires companies to actively identify the sources that could harm or put employees at risk in any way.
Final Thoughts
Implementing ISO 45001 will help your organisation prove that it’s in line with the highest and most up-to-date occupational health and safety regulations. But, as this article has clearly shown, the implications go beyond that. This standard can help you make your company safer and better for all your workers.
Do You Need Help?
Getting certified for ISO 45001 makes clear that your company is interested in providing a safe working environment to its employees. But, if you are new to the world of ISO, you may have a hard time trying to understand the requirements to getting certified.
That’s where we come in.
At Best Practice Biz, we have the tools, know-how, and expertise to help you through your certification process. We will ensure that your present and future systems are ISO 45001 compliant and that your company gains a competitive advantage.
