The ISO 45001 standard is a scheme for the internationally recognized Health and Safety at Work (S&SL) management system. This standard defines rules and guidelines useful for the development and implementation of the management system, with the possibility of integration with the ISO 9001 (quality), ISO 14001 (environment) and SA8000 (social ethics).
Compliance with the international standard ISO 45001 (Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Specification) ensures compliance with the requirements for Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems and allows an Organization to better assess the risks and improve its performance, considering carefully its context and its interlocutors (the so-called “interested parties”).
The standard can be adopted by any organization operating in all types of sectors and activities and has the aim of making the control, knowledge, awareness and management of all possible risks inherent in operating situations systematic for a company. normal and extraordinary in the workplace.
Implementing an ISO 45001 system means rationalizing safety management, harmonizing the current management imposed by Regulatory requirements, thus building a model aimed at promoting safety prevention, risk control and continuous improvement of services through the effective application of an operational and organizational scheme that has as its prerequisite the respect and management of the obligations foreseen by the applicable legislation.
The ISO 45001 management system can be subject to verification of compliance with the international standard by a Certification Body. The certification process provides, after development and a suitable implementation period within the company, for the management system; the audit by the Certification Body, through two phases conducted separately. In particular, the Phase 1 audit in which an analysis is conducted on the compliance of the documentation prepared (manual, procedures, instructions) and on compliance with the main applicable legislative requirements, Phase 2 during which the application and effectiveness are verified of the implemented system. The Audit of the Certification Body is aimed at assessing the compliance of the management system with the reference standard with respect to a specific operating area indicated by the organization (so-called “certification scope”).
The phases of an SSLL Management System implementation project are mainly the following
- Determine the analysis of the organization context from the point of view of the health and safety aspects and the related risks for the identified interested parties
- Identification of interested parties and needs and expectations, connected to operational and health and safety aspects, related to the activity carried out by the organization and contextualization on the territory
- define and implement an SSLL policy document, containing the objectives and principles of action that the organization aims to achieve, not limited to compliance with the limits and provisions of the law, but with the commitment to carry out continuous and concrete improvement interventions aimed to reduce risks and hazards. The implementation of the Policy consist into the definition of specific objectives in a Program. These objectives, established consistently with the analysis of significant risks and opportunities in the SSLL, must be described, communicated and updated regularly;
- establish an SSLL Management System, consisting of a set of people, resources and procedures, in order to plan the actions, carry them out, check their results and decide whether to maintain or modify the decisions taken during the planning phase. The effectiveness of the system, its correct functioning and its adequacy are based on the correct identification of the risks and hazards and with the analysis and maintenance of compliance with the legislation in the SSLL area, through periodic auditing.
Strengths
- INVOLVEMENT OF TOP MANAGEMENT
Greater attention to the involvement of top management in company processes, for the purpose of integrating the organization’s business strategies and priorities, which will play an active role in achieving the objectives.
This point constitutes an essential modification from the OHSAS 18001 standard, where it allows for the timely integration of the activities and commitment of top management into the concrete practices of organizations. In this way, safety management is not implicitly left to the consolidated routine of risk behaviours but is subjected to a structured and focused procedural control.
- OUTSOURCED PROCESSES
Redefine the requirements regarding the assessment and management of the risk related to all outsourced processes, from selection to qualification, to the issue of supplier’s contract.
- INTEGRATION OF SKILLS AND PROCEDURES
Greater integration of skills and procedures relating to the Safety Management System in the workplace within the production processes, which is the ultimate goal of the system itself by virtue of its performance approach.
- FLEXIBILITY OF THE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
Greater flexibility of the Management System, in order to facilitate its implementation and application also in small and medium-sized enterprises and in the services sector.
In this way, an integrated management and a constant commitment at all levels follows, aimed at strengthening the relationship between health and safety management and the organization’s core business.
The degree of change introduced by the new ISO 45001 standard for any organization will depend on a multiplicity of factors, primarily the maturity and awareness achieved by the company.
In particular, organizations are called to undertake a series of activities which depend, in their definition, planning and structuring, on the specific situation of the entity / company.
Advantages and impacts related to the implementation of an ISO 45001 system:
ADMINISTRATIVE ADVANTAGES
The implementation of the organizational and management models according to ISO 45001 in some Countries allows to confer on the management systems (environment, safety or integrated) the effectiveness exempting from administrative responsibility.
In essence, the presence of a system of protocols (or procedures), the implementation of the same and the verification by a Certification body allows you to maintain a management system over time and, above all, effective and suitable control. These activities demonstrate the effective commitment of the organization to avoid crimes and, in this way, allow the exemption of responsibility in case of criminal proceedings in the foreseen crimes.
ECONOMIC ADVANTAGES
Cost reduction
Greater prevention and more integrated safety management allow companies to achieve a significant reduction in costs, favoured by the reduction of accidents, injuries and work-related diseases.
In this way, the negative effects are limited, caused, among others, by the lack of productivity of the worker, the interruption of processes, the burden of replacing the worker, damage to structures, systems and / or equipment following an accident event, by the recourse actions by insurance bodies and by the increase in insurance premiums.
Financial opportunities
In addition to the cost reduction, there is the financial opportunity for organizations that invest in safety prevention, such as those equipped with an SGSL, to access relief on the reduction of insurance premium and loans made available through the Public Authorities (depend Country by Country).
In particular, the discount rates on the Insurance premium provide for a reduction normally of 5% or 10% in relation to the size of the company. This reduction, combined with the bonus-malus mechanism linked to the reduction of accidents, can determine an overall discount of 35-40% depending on the different parameters. (depend Country by Country).
Insurance benefits
Capital lenders and insurance companies are also increasingly interested and attentive to companies that demonstrate that they keep their risks under control and this for the benefit of lower interest on the loaned capital and lower insurance premiums.
Not to mention that, during the tender, among the rewarding requirements of the contracting stations there is the presence of a management system with a valid and internationally recognized certification, to certify that the economic operator meets certain guarantee standards of the quality and / or environmental and / or safety management standards. The amount of the guarantee can be reduced for organizations with a management system that complies with the various regulations in force.
So today as never before, it is very convenient, now almost necessary, for the company that deals with procurement to obtain certification.
