OHSAS 18001: Occupational health and safety management systems - Specification

1. OHSAS 18001:Occupational health and safety management systems - Specification Karen Lawrence

2. OHSAS 18001 vs HSG 65 OHSAS 18001: Policy – Planning – Implement & Operate – Check & Correct – Man. Review – Continual Improvement HSG 65: Policy – Organisation – Plan & Implement – Measure Perf. - Review Perf. - Audit

3. 1. Scope • This OHSAS specification gives requirements for an occupational health and safety (OH&S) management system, to enable an organisation to control its OH&S risks and improve its performance • It does not state specific OH&S performance criteria, not does it give detailed specifications for the design of a management system

4. This OHSAS Specification is applicable to any organization that wishes to: • establish an OH&S management system • implement, maintain and continually improve an OH&S management system • assure itself of its conformance with its O&HS policy • demonstrate such conformance to others • seek certification by an external organization • make a self-determination and declaration of conformance

5. Policy (4.2) • Authorised by top management • Overall objectives clearly stated • Commitment to continual improvement of H&S performance clearly stated • Legal compliance as a minimum • Relevant and appropriate • Communicated with intent to make all employees aware of their responsibilities • Documented, implemented and maintained • Available to interested parties • Reviewed

6. Planning 4.3 • Planning Inputs • Hazard identification (4.3.1) • Risk assessment (4.3.1) • Meets legal and other requirements (4.3.2) • Planning Outputs • Risk control measures (4.3.1) • H&S Objectives (4.3.3) • H&S management programme (4.3.4)

7. Implementation and Operation (4.4) • Structure and Responsibility (4.4.1) • Define, document and communicate roles and responsibilities which effect H&S • Responsibility rests with top management • Training, Awareness and Competence (4.4.2) • Training should take account of levels of responsibility, ability, literacy and risk • Procedures should ensure H&S awareness and competence at all levels

8. Consultation and Communication (4.4.3) • Procedures in place to communicate pertinent info to and from employees and others • The procedures should be documented • Employees consulted on arrangements, changes, review of policies etc • Employees should know who their H&S rep(s) and who the H&S management appointee is

9. Documentation (4.4.4) • Maintained and stored in a suitable medium • Describes management system • Directs to other documentation and how to use it • Document and Data Control (4.4.5) • Procedures will be in place to ensure all documents can be found and are reviewed • Current versions should be available where needed and obsolete versions removed

10. Operational Control (4.4.6) • Plan to control operations and activities associated with identified risks • Procedures where required which stipulate operating criteria • Procedures related to risks of goods and services and for communication with suppliers • Procedures for workplace and process design in order to eliminate or reduce risks at source

11. Emergency Preparedness and Response (4.4.7) • Plans and procedures to identify the potential for, and responses to, incidents and emergency situations, and for preventing and mitigating the likely illness and injury that may be associated with them • They shall be reviewed, particularly after incidents • They shall be tested periodically where practicable

12. Checking and Corrective Action (4.5) • Performance measurement & monitoring (4.5.1) • Procedures should be in place to monitor how well H&S objectives are met • Quantitative and Qualitative • Proactive (compliance with law, man sys etc) • Reactive (accident, ill health etc) • Equipment required for monitoring should be maintained and calibrated

13. Accidents, incidents, non-conformances and preventative action (4.5.2) • Procedures, responsibilities and authority for: • handling & investigating accidents, incidents and non-conformances • taking action to mitigate consequences • ensuring prevent / correct actions are taken • confirming the effectiveness of the actions

14. Records and Record Management (4.5.3) • Procedures should identify & maintain H&S records • H&S records should be legible, identifiable, traceable and stored in a retrievable way

15. Audit (4.5.4) • Audit programme should determine; • if the H&S system conforms to planned arrangements & the std. • if it has been implemented and maintained properly • If it is effective in meeting policy and objectives • It should review the results of previous audits • It should provide information to management • It should be based on previous audit and risk assessment results • If possible, the auditor should be independent of the audited activity

16. 4.6 Management Review • Senior management should regularly review the H&S management system • Review should determine if the system delivers policy, objectives and operational control

17. Simplified Model of OHSAS 18001