OHSAS 18001 and OH&S

Management System model comes to OH&S. It is now several years since OHSAS 18001 was published and it is establishing itself as the ‘international certification standard’ in the absence of an ISO standard for OHS management systems. Its similarity to ISO 14001 is a major advantage, easing understanding and facilitating a common, risk based approach to management. A number of national standards bodies have looked to OHSAS 18001 as a potential national standard and some have already taken the plunge.

There is still no prospect of an ISO certification standard for OH&S and work on a guidance standard has also been ruled out for the moment. Many feel that OH&S is more properly the domain of the Occupational health & Safety Association (OSHA). So, OHSAS 18001 is, and will remain for some time, the best and most widely recognized international model for the management of Occupational Health & Safety.

Organizations are implementing OHSAS 18001 based systems for many reasons. In some countries the achievement of regulatory compliance may require a management system. In Europe, OH&S regulation is goal directed and a proactive approach to the identification, assessment, control and reduction of risk is a necessity. OHSAS 18001 certainly helps to achieve this. There are increasing pressures on organizations from stakeholder expectations, including a demonstrable commitment to ensuring the health and safety of employees, and others involved in providing the goods or service. Significantly, many organizations simply want to reduce the overall risks to the organization and demonstrate good governance. Assurance of health and safety is seen as a key part of risk management.