OHSAS 18001 Occupational Health &
Safety Management
system
What is
an Occupational Health and
Safety Management System?
An Occupational Health and
Safety Management System provide
a framework for managing OHS
responsibilities. The framework
is designed to allow companies
to become more efficient and
operate in a more integrated
manner. Specifically, OHS
management systems specify a
process of achieving
continuously improved OHS
performance and complying with
legislation.
What is OHSAS
18001?
OHSAS 18001 - ‘Occupational
Health and Safety Management
Requirements’ is an
international occupational
health and safety management
system requirements embracing
BS8800, AS/NZ 4801, NSAI SR 320
and other publications. It was
developed in response to the
need for organisations to meet
their health and safety
obligations effectively and to
remove the confusion caused by
the proliferation of certifiable
OH&S Requirements. OHSAS 18001
has been developed to be
compatible with the ISO 9001
(Quality) and ISO 14001
(Environmental) management
systems standards. Therefore it
facilitates the integration of
quality, environmental and
occupational health and safety
management systems, for
organisations wishing to do so.
OHSAS 18001 does not state
specific OH&S performance
criteria, nor does it give
detailed specifications for the
design of a management system.
OHSAS 18001 is not a legislative
requirement or a guide to
implementation.
Who is
it for?
The OHSAS specification is
applicable to any organisation
that wishes to:
- Establish an OH&S management
system to eliminate or minimise
risk to employees and other
interested parties who may be
exposed to OH&S risks associated
with its activities
- Gain competitive advantage
- Implement, maintain, and
continually improve an OH&S
management system
- Assure compliance with its
stated OH&S policy
- Demonstrate such compliance to
third parties, suppliers,
stakeholders etc
- Seek
certification/registration of
its OH&S management system by an
external organisation
Features & Benefits
The following points are the key
areas that need to be addressed
when using an OHSAS 18001
system.
How close are you to already
having a world class OHSMS in
place? (Please check the points
relating to the tasks you
already do):
Planning for hazard
identification, risk assessment
and risk control – Do you
identify hazards, assess risks
and implement the necessary risk
control measures?
OH&S management program(s)
– Do you measure and monitor
achievement of your performance
objectives?
Structure and responsibility
– Do you establish clear roles,
responsibilities and authorities
for personnel who manage,
perform and verify activities
having an effect on the OH&S
risks of the organization’s
activities, facilities and
processes?
Training, awareness and
competence – Do you ensure
that personnel are competent to
perform tasks that may impact
OH&S in the workplace?
Consultation and
communication – Do you
ensure that OH&S information is
communicated to and from
employees and other interested
parties effectively?
Operational control – Do
you ensure the necessary
measures and specified
conditions are in place to
control identified risks?
Emergency preparedness and
response – Do you have plans
and procedures in place to
identify the potential for, and
subsequent response times to
emergency situations?
Performance measuring and
monitoring – Do you monitor
and measure OH&S performance on
a regular basis? So how did you
do?
If this exercise highlighted
areas where you think you need
to improve, contact Nucleus
Consultants.
Implementing a
Occupational
Health & Safety Management System
There are key steps that every
company implementing a
OH&SMS will
need to consider:
Purchase the Standard
Before you can begin preparing
for your application, you will
require a copy of the standard.
You should read this and make
yourself familiar with it.
Review support literature and
software
There are a wide range of
OH&S publications and
software tools designed to help
you understand, implement and
become registered to a
OH&S management system.
Assemble a team and agree on
your strategy
You should begin the entire
implementation process by
preparing your organizational
strategy with top management.
Responsibility for a OH&S lies
with Senior Management,
therefore it is vital that
Senior Management is involved
from the beginning of the
process.
Consider Training
Whether you are the
environmental officer seeking to
implement a environmental
management system or a Senior
Manager who would like to
increase your general awareness
of OH&S, there are a
range of workshops, seminars and
training courses available.
Review Consultancy Options
The consultancy is the 3rd party
like NUCLEUS, You can receive
advice from independent
consultants on how best to
implement your environmental
management system. They will
have the experience in
implementing a OH&S
Management System and can
ensure you avoid costly
mistakes.
Choose a registrar
The registrar is the 3rd party,
who come and assess the
effectiveness of your
environmental
management system, and issue a
certificate if it meets the
requirements of the standard.
Choosing a registrar can be a
complex issue as there are so
many operating in the market.
Factors to consider include
industry experience, geographic
coverage, price and service
level offered. The key is to
find the registrar who can best
meet your requirements. A great
place to start is by contacting
us.
Develop a
Occupational Health &
Safety Management System
manual
A Occupational Health & Safety
Management System manual is a high
level document that outlines
your intention to operate in a
clean manner. It outlines why
you are in business, what your
intentions are, how you are
applying the standard and how
your business operates.
Develop support documentation
This is typically a procedures
manual that supports the
Occupational Health & Safety
Management System manual. Quite
simply, it outlines what you do
to complete a task. It describes
who does what, in what order and
to what standard.
Implement your Occupational
Health & Safety Management
System
The key to implementation is
communication and training.
During the implementation phase
everyone operates to the
procedures and collects records
that demonstrate you are doing
what you say you are doing.
Consider a pre-assessment
A pre-assessment by your
registrar normally takes place
about 6 weeks into the
implementation of the
Occupational Health & Safety
Management System. The
purpose of the pre-assessment is
to identify areas where you may
not be operating to the
standard. This allows you to
correct any areas of concern you
may have before the initial
assessment.
Gain registration
You should arrange your initial
assessment with your registrar.
At this point the registrar will
review your Occupational Health
& Safety Management System and determine
whether you should be
recommended for registration.
Continual assessment
Once you have received
registration and been awarded
your certificate, you can begin
to advertise your success and
promote your business. To
maintain your registration, all
you need to do is continue to
use your Occupational Health &
Safety Management System.
This will be periodically
checked by your registrar to
ensure that your Occupational
Health & Safety Management
System continues to meet the
requirements of the standard.
To
know more about
OHSAS 18001 and
OHSAS 18001 Consultancy Services
please contact us on +91 9600001996
and mail to
info@nucleus-india.com
