Back in 2013, the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) announced it is to launch a new accreditation that it hopes will reduce the number of deaths caused from work-related accidents or diseases.
The long-awaited ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems standard and accreditation will replace the British Standard BS OHSAS 18001, and will be internationally recognised. But the announcement of its introduction has left many businesses in limbo, as they question whether they should put off investing in gaining the original accreditation until the new one is launched.
David Dennis, Independent Advice for Business’ occupational health and safety specialist, explains why businesses shouldn’t put off getting accredited:
“Clients seem to be asking me more and more whether they should wait until the new ISO45001 is launched, and some have even considered not investing in gaining reaccreditation for their existing BS OHSAS 18001 standard.
“My response to all is, if you are genuinely committed to ensuring the health and safety of your employees, and want to demonstrate that commitment, do not wait.
“In my experience, the process for bringing about a new standard is lengthy, and for this one there will be no exception. As an internationally recognised standard, ISO45001 takes into account the International Labour Organisations’ guidelines and needs to be approved by at least 75% of the 69 different countries it affects, before its implementation. As such, the deadline of February 2018 for its roll out looks unlikely, especially given the first draft was rejected.
“Once agreed and published, there will also be a delay of about two months before certification bodies gain United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) accreditation, enabling them to be able to audit against the standard.
“For companies that have already gained BS OHSAS 18001 accreditation before the introduction of ISO 45001, they will have up to three years grace period for transition between the standards.
“So, my view is “don’t delay”, if you believe your company would benefit from gaining accreditation in health and safety, and many of our clients have seen a worth-while impact, go for it now. Don’t wait for the new standard; there is a history of new standards being delayed and your company could be making continuous improvements now that may save someone’s life and your ongoing reputation.”
Find out more about health and safety accreditation.
