Introduction
OHSAS 18001, developed in 1999 and revised in 2007, is a comprehensive Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) management system specification, deigned to enable an organization to control OH&S risks and improve its performance. OHSAS 18001 Certification demonstrates that a safety oriented approach has been integrated into the company’s processes, a company’s commitment to a safe working environment and to protecting employees against injury at work.
OHSAS 18001 has been developed to be compatible with ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 management systems standards, in order to facilitate the integration of quality, environmental and OH&S management systems by organizations. Legislative & regulatory commitment and continual improvement are two important aspects of OHSAS 18001.
The standard is in two sections; OHSAS 18001 is the specification against which certification is awarded. OHSAS 18002 provides guidance on implementing an occupational health and safety management system and corresponds directly to the specification.
The elements of OHSAS 18001 include:
- Policy and commitment.
- Hazard identification, risk assessment & risk controls.
- Legal requirements.
- Objectives & Programs.
- Organization & personnel.
- Training, Communication & Consultation.
- Documentation & records Operational Controls.
- Emergency Readiness.
- Measurement & monitoring.
- Accident & incident investigation, corrective & preventive action.
- Audit & Review.