OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - OHSAS 18001 IMPLEMENTATION

Prism Consultants provide implementation support to organizations implementing the international voluntary Occupational health and safety management system based on the OHSAS 18001 standard.

OHSAS 18001 is a comprehensive, certifiable Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) management system standard, designed to enable organizations to control OH&S risks and improve its performance. The OHSAS 18001 standard is internationally recognized. Conformance auditing and certification to OHSAS 18001 by a third party accrediting body, assure credibility of the programs and periodic evaluation to ensure maintenance and continual improvement.

OHSAS 18001 can be applied to any type of business, organization or industry that wishes to manage its risks for Health & Safety in the work place.

The OHSAS 18000 series that includes OHSAS 18001 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems (OHSMS) grew out of the international success of the ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 series of Standards and the need for managing safety in the work environment. OHSAS 18001 was jointly developed by national standards organizations and international certification bodies.

In addition to the OHSAS 18001 standard, a guidance document in this series known as OHSAS 18002 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems Guidelines for the implementation of OHSAS 18001 is available. 

Organizations self certify or register to only the OHSAS 18001 Standard.

OHSAS 18001 has been developed to be compatible with ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 to allow for easy integration. Top management commitment, legislative & regulatory commitment and continual improvement are important aspects of OHSAS 18001.

The elements of OHSAS 18001 include:

  1. OHS policy
  2. Hazard identification, risk assessment & determining risk controls
  3. Legal and other requirements
  4. Objectives & programmes
  5. Resources, roles, responsibility, accountability and authority
  6. Competence, training and awareness
  7. Communication, participation and consultation
  8. Documentation & control of documents
  9. Operational Control
  10. Emergency preparedness and response
  11. Performance measurement & monitoring
  12. Evaluation of compliance
  13. Incident investigation, non conformity, corrective & preventive action
  14. Control of records
  15. Internal audit
  16. Management review

Benefits of OHSAS 18001 include:
  1. Support OH&S regulatory obligation compliance 
  2. Improve safety culture within the organization 
  3. Reduce severity of incidents and improves productivity 
  4. Improves organizations reputation
OHSAS 18001 is almost identical to ISO 14001 in its auditable elements. Prism consultants also provide support for integrating both the systems.

Please submit enquiry or contact us at info@prismcon.net

" Business is not profit maximization - it is loss
minimization "
- Peter Drucker
© Copyright Prism Consultants 2010.