OHSAS 18001 - Occupational health and safety management system

What is OSHAS 18001?Originally developed in early 1990s as BS8800Revised in 1999 by BSI to be more compatible with ISO 14001Framework for an effective OH&S-MS 17 elements designed in parallel to ISO 14001Allows third-party certification/registration

What OSHAS is notAn international standard like ISO 9001or ISO 14001Not prescriptive no absolute requirements; very similar to ISO 14001

OSHAS Basics

OH&S PolicyClearly states overall OH&S objectivesAuthorised by top managementAppropriate to nature & scale of OH&S risksDocumented, implemented, and maintainedCommunicated to all employeesAvailable to interested partiesReviewed periodically

OH&S Policy CommitmentsImprove health & safety performance*Continual improvementat least comply with current applicable OH&S legislation and other requirements

* Performance: measurable results of the OH&S management system, related to the organizations control of health and safety risks, based on its OH&S policy and objectives.

OH&S PlanningHazard identification, risk assessment, and risk controlLegal and other requirementsObjectivesOH&S management program(s)

Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment & Risk ControlConceptually similar to environmental aspects and impacts target of management program(s)Much more detailed than 14001 approachAssessment must address:routine and non-routine activitiesall personnel, including contractors and visitorsfacilities at the workplace, whether provided by the organization or by others

Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment & Risk ControlMethodology must be proactivein advance of process/equipment changesallow engineering of hazard controls during designimplementation of controls as change occursSuccess requires strong Management of Change (MOC) procedure

Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment & Risk ControlProcess overviewidentification of hazardsevaluation of risks under current controlsevaluation of the tolerability of residual riskidentification of needed additional controlsPeople are involvedsignificant risks must be controlledindividual behaviour is a significant factor

OH&S Planning

Implementation & OperationStructure and responsibilitiesTraining awareness and competenceConsultation and communicationDocumentationDocument and data controlOperational controlEmergency preparedness and response

Structure & ResponsibilitiesDocumented roles, responsibilities, authorities, and accountabilityManagement appointee responsible for implementationResourcesManagers must demonstrate commitment to continual improvement

Training, Awareness & CompetenceEnsure employee awareness and competenceTake into account differing levels of:ResponsibilityAbilityLiteracyRiskMuch of required training driven by regulation

Consultation & CommunicationMore internally focused than ISO 14001Employee involvement and consultationin development/review of policies and proceduresabout changes that affect workplace safety or healthensuring representation in OH&S mattersBuy-in, ownership, motivationInsights of shop floor perspective

Documentation & DataDocumentation of core elementsaids employee awarenessshows how the various system relateextremely valuable during certification processDocument and data control procedurescritical documents are available obsolete documents and data are removed

Operational ControlIdentify operations and activities where risk requires further controlPlan these to ensure thatdocumented procedures are developedoperating criteria specify key steps and requirementsprocedures addressing risks related to contractor goods and servicesestablish design procedures to reduce/eliminate source of risks

Operational Control

Emergency Preparedness & ResponseEmergency response procedures to address identifying potential for incidents and emergenciespreventing and mitigating resultant illnesses and injuriesresponding to incidents and emergencies when they occur.

Emergency Preparedness & Response

Checking & Corrective ActionPerformance measurement and monitoringAccidents, incidents, non-conformances and corrective and preventive actionRecords and records managementOH&S management system audit

Performance Measurement & MonitoringMonitoring the achievement of objectivesQuantitative and qualitative measuresProactive and reactive methodsRecords to facilitate corrective and preventive actionsCalibration of monitoring equipment

Quantitative & QualitativeDirect Quantitative Measuresnumber of lost work days following an injurydecibel levels of noise in a work areaIndirect Qualitative Measuresreview of inspection logsobservation of a taskinterviews

Proactive & Reactive MeasuresProactive monitoring of complianceroutine basis, independent of any eventmonitoring may be required by regulationsdaily equipment checksperiodic review of hot-work permitsReactive monitoring of accidents or incidentsin response to an event or triggeraccident investigationmonitoring in response to a complaint

Accident, Incidents, Non-conformances & Corrective and Preventive ActionHandle, investigate, mitigateAccidentsIncidentsnon-conformancesCorrective and preventive actionsReview action plans through risk assessment process

Accident, Incidents & Non-conformances Handle = immediate actionNotificationemergency responserecordkeeping to facilitate investigationInvestigation processteam and proceduresroot cause analysisPeople are involved human elements

Corrective and Preventive ActionCorrect immediate problemMitigate consequencesEliminate or control root causePrevent recurrenceReview action plans through risk assessment processCommunicate results and monitor

Records & Record ManagementIdentification, maintenance, and disposition Records must be:LegibleIdentifiabletraceable to the activities involvedeasily retrievableprotected from damage, deterioration, or lossheld for specified and documented retention times

OH&S Management System AuditDetermine if OH&S-MS:conforms with planned arrangementsis properly implemented and maintainedis effective in meeting policy and objectivesResults provided to top managementAudit program and schedule reflect risks and previous audit results

Management Review

OHSAS 18001 - Occupational health and safety management system