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Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S)

ISO 45001 Certification in Qatar: Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OH&S)

Introduction to ISO 45001: Ensuring a Safe and Healthy Workplace

ISO 45001:2018 is an international standard that provides a framework for managing and continuously improving Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) within an organization. This standard is applicable to organizations of all sizes, operations, and locations and is designed to reduce occupational injuries and diseases while promoting a culture of health and safety.

ISO 45001 not only focuses on preventing work-related injuries and physical hazards but also aims to protect mental health and worker wellness. By establishing a robust OH&S system, organizations can protect their most valuable asset—their people—and drive business excellence.

The ISO 45001 standard follows the risk-based approach and introduces the ‘Annex SL’ structure, enabling easy integration with other ISO standards such as ISO 9001 (Quality), ISO 14001 (Environmental Management), and ISO 27001 (Information Security). This flexibility and compatibility make ISO 45001 an ideal choice for organizations looking to streamline multiple management systems.

Industries We Serve

AEGIS offers ISO 45001 certification services across a wide range of industries, ensuring each sector’s unique requirements are met. Our experience spans the following sectors:

  • Trading & Contracting
  • Architecture, Engineering Maintenance, and Construction
  • IT, Networking & Digital Services
  • Manufacturing and Chemicals
  • Education and Training
  • Healthcare, Medical Labs, and Clinics
  • Facility & Hospitality Management
  • Food Processing and Packaging (including supermarkets, bakeries, and dairy products)
  • Sewage and Waste Management

This industry-specific expertise allows us to tailor the ISO 45001 implementation to the unique challenges and requirements of each sector.

Benefits of Implementing ISO 45001:2018

Implementing ISO 45001 brings multiple benefits to organizations, regardless of size or industry. Some of the key advantages include:

    1. Enhanced Worker Safety and Wellness:
      ISO 45001 promotes a culture of safety and wellness by actively involving employees in identifying, eliminating, or reducing hazards. This approach not only protects physical health but also emphasizes mental health and wellness, helping build a reputation as a safe, supportive workplace.
    2. Integrated Management System:
      The Annex SL structure allows for seamless integration with other ISO standards, such as ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. This integration reduces redundancies, simplifies compliance, and saves time and resources.
    3. Compliance with Legal and Regulatory Obligations:
      ISO 45001 helps organizations stay updated with regulatory requirements, ensuring compliance and reducing the risk of legal penalties. This standard provides a structured approach to tracking and updating legal obligations, helping organizations achieve a secure and lawful operation.
    4. Improved Productivity and Engagement:
      ISO 45001 fosters a positive safety culture, reducing incidents and empowering employees to participate in safety initiatives. This participation enhances engagement, productivity, and retention, positioning the organization as an attractive place to work.
    5. Global Applicability and Standardization:
      As an international standard, ISO 45001 sets a single benchmark for OH&S management across geographic, political, and social boundaries. This global applicability is especially beneficial for companies with international operations, simplifying health and safety management across borders.
    6. Achieving Intended OH&S Outcomes:
      ISO 45001 enables organizations to achieve core OH&S outcomes such as:
      • Continual improvement of OH&S performance
      • Fulfillment of legal and other requirements
      • Achievement of OH&S objectives.

These outcomes ensure that organizations not only meet compliance standards but also exceed them, driving continuous improvement in health and safety.

  1. Cost Savings Through Risk Reduction:
    By identifying and mitigating potential hazards, organizations can reduce the costs associated with workplace incidents, including medical expenses, legal fees, and lost productivity. This structured approach to risk management enhances financial stability and operational efficiency.

PDCA CYCLE:

To facilitate quality development, ISO 45001 implemented the four-stage Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) process. This is an inherent part of the systemic approach to find workable approaches, determine results and incorporate those that have been shown to work.

Key Elements of ISO 45001

ISO 45001 encompasses several core elements that contribute to a comprehensive OH&S system:

  1. Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment
    Hazard identification is fundamental in ISO 45001, enabling organizations to prioritize actions to address risks and opportunities. Using the ‘Hierarchy of Controls,’ companies can assess risks systematically based on internal and external activities, document findings, and communicate them to employees and other stakeholders.
    The risk assessment is conducted by a competent person who scores findings based on the probability and severity of potential harm, using a risk score to determine priorities. This approach is systematically applied according to legal and regulatory criteria and considers specific operational conditions, such as explosion risk, impact risk, and height risks.
  2. Eliminating Hazards and Reducing OH&S Risks
    After selecting a risk management approach, the organization uses the Hierarchy of Controls to eliminate or reduce hazards to the lowest possible level. It’s crucial that both internal staff and external suppliers involved in risk assessments are qualified and adhere to high standards of professionalism. Once the risk assessment is complete, findings are shared with all directly impacted employees, who play an active role in implementing the necessary control measures to mitigate risks.

Incident Reporting and Management
Unlike other standards such as ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, ISO 45001 includes specific provisions for ‘incident’ reporting, as detailed in Clause 3 ‘Words of Definition’ of the standard. This clause establishes criteria for defining and documenting an ‘incident’—an event that does not cause damage or ill health but has the potential to do so. Examples include ‘near misses,’ ‘near hits,’ or ‘close calls,’ which should be reported and recorded to improve preventive measures and reduce the likelihood of future incidents.
The organization is encouraged to implement a reporting system that captures these unexpected events, ensuring they are recorded even if they don’t result in immediate harm. This proactive approach to incident reporting strengthens the organization’s ability to identify risks and improve safety continuously.

PDCA Cycle

HAZARD IDENTIFICATION:

Hazard identification is fundamental in the ISO 45001:2018 process to prioritize actions to address risks and opportunities. Using the ‘Hierarchy of Controls’ the standard requires the organization to conduct a risk assessment based on internal and external activities. Hazard identification will enable the organization to recognize and understand hazards

ISO 450001 Hazard Identification

The company will use the control hierarchy to assess the process in which the results are reported as written information and transmitted to staff and other stakeholders. The competent person would typically conduct a risk assessment and score the findings based on the probability of an event based on the severity of the harm with an applied risk score.

This approach will be systematically applied and dependent on the legal / regulatory criteria, operation form and conditions, i.e., explosion, impact, height risk assessment etc.

Eliminating hazards and reducing OH&S risks:

Having chosen the risk management approach, the company should use the outlined ‘Hierarchy of Controls’ to eliminate or reduce hazards to the lowest possible danger. It is important that staff, particularly external suppliers, are professional when performing risk assessment. On completion of the risk, the findings of the evaluation will be conveyed to all employees directly impacted within the project and to assist in implementing control measures. Workers must be involved in the evaluation process.

Incident

Unlike ISO 9001 Standard and ISO 14001 Environmental management System, in addition to nonconformity and disciplinary measures, ISO 45001 incorporates ‘Incident.’ Clause 3 ‘Words of Definition’ within the standard establishes the criteria for defining and documenting a ‘incident.’ An ‘accident’ is an incident which does not cause damage and/or ill health.The organization therefore needs to implement a reporting system that captures events that were not necessarily foreseen within the management system processes. These are often called ‘near misses,’ ‘near-hit’ or a ‘close call’’.

Why Choose AEGIS for ISO 45001 Certification?

If your organization currently follows OHSAS 18001:2007, now is the time to transition to ISO 45001:2018. OHSAS 18001 will be withdrawn in 2021, making ISO 45001 the primary global OH&S standard.

ISO 45001 offers enhanced benefits, including a structured approach to worker wellness and a focus on continuous improvement, setting it apart from its predecessor. Contact AEGIS today to ensure a seamless transition and effective implementation of ISO 45001:2018.

Transitioning from OHSAS 18001 to ISO 45001

OHSAS 18001:2007 (initial version OHSAS 18001:1999) Is the predecessor to ISO standard ISO 45001:2018, recently released. The OHSAS standard has been globally approved but is not an ISO standard.

In 2021 OHSAS 18001 will be withdrawn leaving ISO 45001 the primary international OHS management system standard.

So contact Aegis Services today for the effective implementation and hassle free consultancy of ISO 45001:2018.

Contact Us

Ready to achieve ISO 45001 certification? AEGIS provides reliable, cost-effective, and results-oriented consultancy to help you create a safer workplace, improve employee wellbeing, and strengthen your organization’s reputation for health and safety excellence. Reach out to AEGIS Services today to begin your journey toward ISO 45001 certification.

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