ISO 45001 - What’s New in DIS 2?

As the development of the ISO 45001 standard continues to DIS/2 we are taking the opportunity to summarize the draft standard - to date.

We will not go through the standard clause by clause but will attempt to capture the basis of the requirements.

Consultation will open on the 19^th May 2017 for those wishing to have input in to the revision process. As with the previous version, the format is based on Annex SL requirements, in line with other recently revised, management system standards.

Remember - as with all management systems, it is not about just complying with the individual clauses but how these requirements relate to each other, and work together to provide an effective system eg;

Having all the component parts for an engine on a bench does not make it work, they need to be assembled, fuelled and work together for the engine to run.

Anyway back to the standard – we will work from section 4 to 10:

Section 4:

Context of the organization

• Understanding the needs of workers & other interested parties – relevant to the OHS management system. This includes internal and external parties that are relevant and affect its ability to achieve the intended outcomes of the system.

• Who are the parties, what do they expect (require), and are the requirements  legal/statutory or could they be? How do we plan to meet the needs?

• Scope of the system as applied to the organization – based on the above and the scope shall be available as documented information.

Section 5:

Leadership and worker participation

• Take overall responsibility and accountability for the prevention of work related injury and/or ill-health including the provision of a safe and healthy workplace and activities.

• Establishing a policy and objectives in line with the activities and strategic direction of the organization. Integrating the system requirements in to the business processes.

• Ensuring the resources needed to establish, maintain and improve the system.

• Communication and participation with workers and others to protect, direct, support, develop and improve the performance of the system and those participating with the requirements.

• Identifying, communicating and documenting the roles, responsibilities and authority for the system and the relationships with the various participants.

• Plans of how the legal and other requirements will be fulfilled.

• Risks and Opportunity identification and determining controls for risk and opportunities that need to be addressed, to achieve the intended outcomes - prevent undesired effects and create improvements.

• Plan, implement and maintain audit programmes.

Section 6:

Planning

• Consider legal and other requirements.

• Hazard identification for how activities are actually undertaken. The resources, skills, knowledge, materials, substances and circumstances in which the activities are undertaken for routine and non-routine situations.

• Assessment of both risk and opportunities.

• Providing a proactive not reactive approach.

• Prepare for and respond to emergency situations.

• Actions to address risks and opportunities.

• Planning action to achieve objectives, how they will be measured, what is to be achieved and why, what is needed to achieve the objective, who will be responsible and when will it be achieved.

Section 7:

Support

• Determine and provide resources for the OHS system deliver the requirements (including legal) and improvements.

• Competence of workers as applicable to the OHS system performance and the identification of hazards.

• Awareness of system policy, objectives and their requirements.

• Communicate both internally and externally to enhance engagement, cooperation and understanding.

• Provide controlled, documented information where and when it is need for the operations and to demonstrate the implementation and development of the OHS system.

Section 8:

Operation

• Plan the operation to enable effective controls to eliminate and address the identified hazards.

• Use the hierarchy of controls to aid risk management and improvements.

• Manage and control change that affect the operation of the OHS system including new processes or products, staffing, working conditions, knowledge or understanding or legal requirements.

• Control of Outsourcing to other organizations, Procurement of materials, resources or services. Coordination with contractors and consider both sides and how best to work together safely.

• Be prepared for emergency condition or situations with training, resources and awareness.

Section 9:

Performance Evaluation

• Monitor performance – not just in terms of accidents but include work related ill-health and proactive hazards reporting and worker engagement.

• Understand the legal requirements and determine what, how and when is effectiveness of the obligation being checked – don’t forget change can be planned holidays etc. and resources need to be suitably available when non-routine things happen.

• Are the Objectives being delivered or met – how do you know?

• Think proactive and risk based – the more hazardous the greater level of controls may be required – check these controls more frequently.

• Learn lessons from experience and from others - use the information being generated by the organization including plant performance and maintenance data or hazard reports for example.

• Is legal compliance being achieved – how do you know?

• Use performance information to identify action points

• Communicate with staff – discuss concerns, opportunities and agree changes or improvement before implementing them – you could be solving a minor issue and creating a major one.

• Use internal auditing effectively to confirm delivery of expected outcomes and controls – consider process and risk based when establishing a schedule.

• Review the management system at appropriate frequencies to confirm performance and identify improvements in line with the policy, strategic direction of the business and the achievement of objectives and requirements.

Section 10:

Improvement

• Investigate, document and implement actions to address incidents, risks and opportunities.

• Review assessments and controls after incidents and before planned changes to identify improvements and confirm the effectiveness of actions.

• Engage and communicate with workers to delivery continual improvement.

I hope this is a useful insight in to the second draft of ISO 45001 but unfortunately we cannot answer individual questions related to a particular organization.

Keep safe and well - and never stop improving.