To achieve ISO 45001 accreditation for your organisation, you need to know your current state of risk management and what changes are needed to meet the ISO 45001’s requirements. Conducting a health and safety audit against ISO 45001 standards is the first step.
Here we share the requirements of ISO 45001 and provide you with a handy ISO 45001 checklist for your audit to help you implement the standards in your workplace.
What does ISO stand for?
The International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) sets globally recognised management systems standards which outline the architecture for an organisation’s policies, procedures, and practices.
What is ISO 45001 and why is it important?
ISO 45001 is an international certification that specifies requirements for an occupational health and safety management system. It provides a framework for organisations to proactively manage health and safety risks, prevent work-related injuries and illnesses, and comply with health and safety laws.
The standard focuses on the integration of ‘risk’ management within wider business practices. It is the progression of an older standard – the Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series (OHSAS 18001).
By meeting the standards of ISO 45001 organisations can streamline processes, increase operational efficiency, and reduce costs associated with workplace injuries, illnesses, and accidents. To explore further benefits, please read our article, What are the benefits of ISO 45001?
How do I prepare for ISO 45001?
It is advisable to read ISO 45001:2018 and then carry out a comprehensive audit to find out how your organisation currently performs against the standards.
Our ISO 45001 checklist below can help you identify any compliance gaps as well as areas where your organisation is performing well.
What are the requirements of ISO 45001?
ISO 45001 is written in chapters (or sections), which are:
- Context of the organisation
- Leadership and worker participation
- Planning
- Support
- Operation
- Performance evaluation
- Improvement
These areas are the focus of our checklist.
ISO 45001 Checklist
Context of organisation
- Have we identified and documented the external and internal health and safety issues relevant to our organisation’s vision, purpose, and strategic direction?
- Is our health and safety management system aligned with our strategic vision, objectives, products, and services?
- Does our health and safety management system reflect the needs, expectations and interests of employees and other interested parties?
- Have we clearly defined the processes, actions, and requirements at each stage within our health and safety management system?
- Have we established a method for regularly reviewing and checking health and safety issues, including defined time scales?
- Do we understand how to adapt our health and safety management system as the organisational context changes?
Leadership and worker participation
- Have we clearly designated responsibilities for making each part of the health and safety management system a success, including decision-making roles?
- Have responsibilities been assigned for managing each stage, along with clear guidelines for action and success measurement?
- Have managers taken responsibility for the effectiveness of the health and safety management system?
- Do managers understand the importance of communicating the processes detailed in the health and safety management system and the role of risk-based thinking in our success?
- Do we have a framework for clearly communicating health and safety objectives at all levels of the organisation – strategic, functional, departmental, and individual?
- Are employees actively involved in hazard identification and risk assessment processes?
- Have we created a health and safety policy that is relevant to our organisation and have all relevant parties read and understood it?
- Are we able to integrate our health and safety policies and procedures into our day-to-day operations?
Planning for success
- Do we have a framework in place for identifying the risks and opportunities that affect our health and safety management system?
- Have we taken the appropriate steps to address the risks and opportunities we have identified?
- Have we integrated the steps we need to take to meet ISO 45001 standards into day-to-day practices and systems rather than treating them as one-off tasks?
- Have we considered potential changes to the health and safety management system that may be required over time to ensure its ongoing effectiveness?
Support
- Do we understand what resources we need to establish, implement, and maintain our health and safety management system?
- Have we developed a plan for regularly reviewing resources to ensure they are appropriate and utilised effectively as the organisation evolves?
- Do we recognise the levels of understanding needed to ensure our processes work effectively and our products or services conform to the expected criteria set out in our health and safety management?
- Have we taken steps to ensure that individuals impacting our health and safety management system are appropriately trained or that training needs have been identified?
- Have we ensured that each person in our organisation understands how they can contribute to the success of our health and safety management system?
- Have we planned internal and external communications to ensure everyone is aware of the systems in place for managing health and safety?
- Do we understand what documented information needs to be provided to satisfy the requirements of ISO 45001 and ensure effective implementation?
Operation
- Do we have documented emergency procedures and have these procedures been effectively communicated to employees?
- Do we coordinate our operations with contractors to assess and control any risks arising from their work?
- Have we integrated ISO 45001 standards into operations with external contractors?
- Do we work with external providers to ensure our health and safety goals are met, following a clearly defined process?
Performance evaluation
- Do we understand what needs to be monitored and measured to improve health and safety, and have we documented how we will obtain useful, valid results?
- Have we determined when we need to analyse and evaluate results?
- Have we established a formal structure for evaluating our health and safety management system, such as through an internal audit programme?
- Will we agree on areas for potential improvement and development within the health and safety management system, and how will we include these in management reviews?
- Have we established a structure for management reviews of our health and safety management system?
Improvement
- Have we identified areas for improvement that align with our health and safety goals, and have we taken the necessary steps to implement these changes?
- Do we have a process in place for managing non-conformities to the ISO 45001 standard, including the steps required to correct them?
- Have we agreed on how to prioritise the continual improvement of the suitability, adequacy, and effectiveness of our health and safety management system?
- Do we consult with and encourage the participation of employees in the development and continual improvement of our health and safety management system?
How to get ISO 45001 certified
At Praxis42, our friendly, experienced team of health and safety consultants offer an ISO 45001 pre-audit health check. We work with you to make cost-effective improvements to your health and safety management system supporting you to achieve ISO 45001 certification as quickly and easily as possible.
Find out how to implement ISO 45001 into your health and safety management system and maintain long-term compliance by contacting us today on 0203 011 4242 or info@praxis42.com
