A question of standards
February 1st 2008 The recently updated internationally recognised
standard OHSAS 18001:2007 brings health and
safety certification in line with other key areas of
business certification such as the environment
ISO14001 and quality ISO9001 - making it easier for
companies to implement an integrated management
system, explains Keith Stanton of NQA
For many firms, particularly smaller ones, health and
safety legislation can seem like a major hurdle to jump,
but with OHSAS 18001:2007, legislative compliance can
be managed in a logical and organised manner.
The updated standard means it is now more
straightforward than ever, for companies to introduce a
manageable health and safety system and, through
independent third party UKAS accredited certification
body, demonstrate that they take health and safety
matters seriously.
The first Health and Safety statute to be passed was
the Health and Morals of Apprentices Act 1802. This
sought to combat the dreadful conditions experienced by
child apprentices within the cotton industry. As well as
limiting the number of hours worked, it specified
minimum standards for lighting, heating and ventilation.
Compliance was regulated by visitors appointed to
factories by local magistrates.
The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 enabled,
for the first time, broad general health and safety duties
to be placed upon all workplaces, and allowed for the
introduction of more general specific codes of practice.
In the late 1990s, OHSAS 18001:1999 was developed in
response to a demand for a recognisable occupational
health and safety management system standard against
which a company's compliance could be assessed and
certified.
The updated standard supersedes OHSAS 18001:1999
and brings health and safety certification in line with
other key areas of business certification such as the
environment ISO14001 and quality ISO9001 - making it
easier for companies to implement an integrated
management system.
There are many benefits to attaining the new updated
standard, OHSAS 18001:2007.
As well as helping to prevent accidents and fatalities,
certification to OHSAS 18001:2007 may reduce insurance
premiums and protect firms from compensation claims,
something that is increasingly necessary in today's blame
culture. In addition, NQA's clients have found that being
certified to OHSAS 18001 helps their standing both in the
community in which they work and within their industry
helping to attract both employees and new business
prospects.
Recognising health and safety at all levels
One of the key benefits of the new standard is that it
encourages participation not only from all of a firm's
employees, but also self employed workers and contractors.
OHSAS 18001:2007 states that everyone in the workplace
must take responsibility for all aspects of health and
safety that they have control over.
So health and safety is no longer just the remit of the
health and safety manager or senior management.
Accountability is moved down the chain of command,
ensuring health and safety is of primary importance at all
levels of a company's structure. The standard also requires
that the health and safety policy be communicated to
everyone in an organisation – so even those people who
don't have direct responsibility are aware of the
regulations.
One of the first firms to make the switch to the updated
standard is NQA client, Farrans Construction, a building
and civil engineering contractor with 450 employees,
based in Belfast. Alex Anderson, Farrans' Safety Health
Environment and Quality Manager, comments:
"Everyone has a responsibility to work safely and
prevent injury to themselves and others. One way we can
all achieve this is to have an effective health and safety
management system.
"OHSAS 18001:2007 has assisted Farrans in the
development of an effective safety management system.
Amongst other things, it provides a major focus on issues
such as accident prevention, and provides reassurance to
clients that health and safety is being managed in a
professional manner and that there is a system in place to
achieve continuous improvement in this vital area."
Palletline provides vital distribution links for customers
across the UK and employs 100 people at its Birmingham
HQ. It has recently implemented OHSAS 18001:2007
through NQA. Kevin Buchanan, managing director of
Palletline comments:
"Working towards certification to OHSAS 18001:2007
has enabled us to promote an intrinsically safe working
environment, operating within a clearly defined framework
where we identify and control risks to health and safety.
The initiative matches closely with our existing drive to
consistently reduce the potential for accidents and
improve our performance across the board."
The Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 will
come into effect on 6 April 2008. Under this new act,
companies and organisations can be found liable for a
work-related death if actions at a senior level amount to
gross breach of a duty of care to the deceased following a
systemic failure to manage safety within the business.
So now more than ever could be time for leaders of all
businesses, to consider implementing OHSAS 18001:2007. More articles from NICEIC: | 
