What are the benefits of implementing an OHSAS 18001 Management System?

OHSAS 18001 sets out the minimum requirements for the management of Occupational Health and Safety. The implementation of a management system based on this standard, would bring about the best possible management system regarding the Occupational Health and Safety for all your employees as well as sub-contractors working on your premises, as it starts with minimum requirements, and through the system of continual improvement, builds the system to the best possible, within your working environment.

What Principles are OHSAS 18001 Standard based on?

The principles are:

  • 1. Management system able to eliminate or minimize risk to employees and other parties, exposed to Occupational Health & Safety risks.
  • 2. It is compatible with ISO 9001 and ISO 140001 Management Systems for complete integration.

OHSAS 18001 Benefits

The perceived benefits of using the OHSAS 18001 standard are:

  • * Provides assurance on health and safety issues to external stakeholders.
  • * Enables the organisation to demonstrate it is compliant with all applicable health and safety legislation and other requirements to which it subscribes.
  • * Provides for potentially fewer inspection visits from regulatory Health & Safety Inspectors.
  • * Lead to improved relationships with regulators.
  • * Provides a framework for continual improvement of health and safety performance.
  • * Can lead to less time spent off work through injury or illness.
  • * Ensures that information is properly documented, communicated and retained.
  • * Increased awareness through consultation and participation.
  • * OHSAS18001 gives people an avenue to raise health and safety concerns.
  • * Makes it clear that health and safety is an important part of the corporate culture.
  • * Can lead to direct reductions in the costs associated with accidents, incidents and instances of ill health.
  • * Potential for savings through a reduction in time lost through accidents and incidents
  • * Can lead to increased competitiveness amongst industry rivals.
  • * Improvements and standardised ways of working following implementation of risk assessments, method statements and controls.
  • * Reduces the potential for fines and costs associated with civil or criminal claims against the organisation.
  • * Reduced insurance costs can be realised as a result of potentially lower public liability insurance premiums.
  • * Aid employee retention based on the belief that they are working for a responsible organisation.
  • * Leads to improved corporate image among regulators, customers and the public.
  • * Demonstrates to your business partners, regulatory agencies, employees, their families and the community that you are a responsible employer.

What is Risk?

There are a number of definitions in use, each of which is valid when used in a certain context.

OHSAS terms Risk as:

The combination of the likelihood of an occurrence of a hazardous event or exposure(s) and the severity of injury or ill health that can be caused by the event or exposure.

Wikipedia terms Risk as follows:

Risk is the potential that a chosen action or activity (including the choice of inaction) will lead to a loss (an undesirable outcome). The notion implies that a choice having an influence on the outcome sometimes exists (or existed). Potential losses themselves may also be called "risks". Any human endeavour carries some risk, but some are much more risky than others.

Oxford English Dictionary terms Risk as:

(Exposure to) the possibility of loss, injury, or other adverse or unwelcome circumstance; a chance or situation involving such a possibility

"Risk - a Conclusion"

It is important to establish the context of a statement in which the term Risk is used. Risk could too easily be downgraded to a personal level only! The risks involving the enterprise is directly linked on many levels with the risks associated with Employees and Financial losses. This is evident from the ISO 31000 Standard where risk is defined as: an effect of uncertainty on objectives (Effect) is a deviation from the expected — positive and/or negative. (Objectives) can have different aspects (such as financial, health and safety, and environmental goals) and can apply at different levels (such as strategic, organization-wide, project, product and process). Risk is often characterized by reference to potential events and consequences , or a combination of these. Risk is often expressed in terms of a combination of the consequences of an event (including changes in circumstances) and the associated likelihood of occurrence.

Implementation Requirements

Implementation Goals

The Implementation Goals / Targets are set along the desired minimum outcomes of various stages or processes, as the minima for attaining the perceived management system targets.

Occupational Health and Safety Management System Targets

The targets for Health and Safety Management System are documented along the requirements as stipulated in the Health & Safety Policy of the Enterprise. These measured scores would determine the success rate of the management system.

Training Key Personnel

The training of key personnel should be conducted prior to the implementation taking place, to ensure that the requirements of the OHSAS 18001 standard is known and understood by all parties involved.

Assessments

To ensure full compliance with the OHSAS 18001 standard for your Enterprise, a full GAP analysis must be conducted to enable the compilation of a "AS-IS" report. This report would show all shortcomings regarding the requirements as set by the standard. The follow-up report would be a "TO-BE" report, stating the requirements for the management system at the end of the implementation period.

Implementation Planning

The consultant has to engage with management in setting the targets and requirements for the implementation framework. The framework can then only be implemented along those lines when all parties adhere to the terms of implementation.

Implementation

The implementation would require the attention of all parties involved. The implementation does not have to mean the complete overhauling of procedures but it could mean that there might be major or minor changes, as to how things are done or results recorded. It could even imply that new procedures have to be compiled and implemented. This indication would be only be given after the first assessment of the current system has been concluded and form part of the "AS-IS" assessment.

Changes or Adaptations

Changes to processes and procedures should be documented and all personnel involved must be trained for the changes to take effect. All documentation regarding the changes in Task- and /or Job descriptions should be seen as part of the implementation process.

Internal Audits

Internal audits must be conducted to assess the implementation process. The outcome would indicate the first changes if any, to the management system, as well as the shortcomings of the system as planned and implemented.

Implementation Timeframe.

If you are serious about the OHSAS 18001 system implementation for your enterprise, the process must not be rushed, but rather be well planned and executed. The size of your business would determine the timeframe needed for implementation. RynMag would be able to give an indication regarding the timeframe for the specific implementation once a site visit was conducted.

Maintaining the OHSAS 18001 based Health and Safety Management System

As is evident of this Standard, the system has to be documented. This would mean that the documents should be available to all employees, as well as interested and affected third parties requiring inspection of the management system. The easiest would be a paper based filing system, but this could prove to be cumbersome when the documentation has to be distributed to all personnel and revision done. Be very careful not purchase paper based systems as this would make you dependent upon a consultant for any changes to the system. RynMag has developed computer based software programs able to handle all the documentation inclusive of reminders, for the required maintenance as well as the registers required to record various aspects of the system.

Implementation Cost

The cost of the implementation should never be seen as an expense, but rather a tool to enhance the management of the business. The cost of the system should rather be seen as an investment in making the business more profitable and delivering services or products through a healthy and safe Workforce. If implemented and maintained properly, the system should repay the investment within a reasonable timeframe.

Certification Process

The certification is possible as soon as the management process has been conducted for a full cycle (usually 6-12 months) and documented proof exists, to show the compliance to the particular standard implemented. This would include proof of internal audits of the system.