OHSAS (Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series) is a British Standard which gives conformity to Occupational Health and Safety related issue.
Demonstrate your commitment to Occupational Health & Safety More and more organizations are concerned about demonstrating their commitment to Occupational Health & Safety. This is mainly crucial for employees, but also for customers, stakeholders and the corporate image. In addition, stricter legislation demands that organizations show a clear, pro-active commitment towards health and safety. Clients and employees want proof of this up-front, in addition to being assured that an organization will continue to meet their needs now and in the long term. That's a challenge but also an opportunity for organizations to reduce risk and provide a safer working environment.
OHSAS 18001 is a specification for Occupational Health & Safety Management Systems (OHSMS) jointly developed by a number of international third party certification bodies, national standards bodies, and other interested parties. It enables organizations to manage operational risks and improve performance. It also provides guidance on how to manage the health and safety aspects of your business activities more effectively, while taking into careful consideration accident prevention, risk reduction and the well-being of employees.
Many organizations are implementing an Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSMS) as part of their risk management strategy to address changing legislation and protect their workforce. An OHSMS promotes a safe and healthy working environment by providing a framework that allows organization to consistently identify and control its health and safety risks, reduce the potential for accidents, aid legislative compliance and improve overall performance. Demonstrating commitment to Occupational Health & Safety can positively improve the efficiency of internal operations and consequently reduce accidents, danger and downtime. Employee safety and the quality of the working environment are actively improved because objectives and responsibilities are made clearer and all employees are prepared to effectively deal with any future hazards. What's more, OHSAS 18001 ensures compliance with current legal requirements, reducing the risk of penalties or possible litigation. Who is it relevant to? OHSAS 18001 can be adopted by any organization willing to implement a formal procedure to reduce the risks associated with health and safety in the working environment for employees, customers and the general public.
Benefits Certifying OHSAS 18001 management system enables organization to prove that it conforms to the specification and provides the following benefits:
- Potential reduction in the number of accidents
- Potential reduction in downtime and associated costs
- Demonstration of legal and regulatory compliance
- Demonstration to stakeholders, commitment to health and safety
- Demonstration of an innovative and forward thinking approach
- Increased access to new customers and business partners
- Better management of health and safety risks, now and in the future
- Potential reduced public liability insurance costs.
