Main characteristics of ISO 45001:2018 and OHSAS 18001.

The appearance of a new standard ISO 45001:2018 marked a key event to EHS managers (Environment-Health-Safety) ISO 45001:2018 has gradually replaced with OHSAS 18001 through other management systems' access such as ISO 14001 and ISO 9001, which simultaneously emphasizes management commitment and engagement of employees and risk control. KNA would like to introduces the overview of ISO, similarities and differences among two sets of standard.

What is ISO 45001?  

It was issued March 12th, 2018. The set of standard ISO 45001 is a new international standard in terms of occupational health and safety management.

The set of standard ISO 45001 has rules concerning occupational health and safety management as well as instructions for use. The application of the set of standard also allows organizations to provide a safer and healthier workplace by preventing and minimizing injuries, diseases and life in work and actively implementing OHSAS.

ISO 45001 can be applied to any organization in the world regardless of any type of their scales and the nature of enterprises.

ISO 45001 has replaced OHSAS 18001, the world's previous reference for OH&S management (organizations currently certified under OHSAS 18001 to March 12th, 2021 will be converted into ISO 45001).

How is ISO 45001 like OHSAS 18001?

- Purpose: The mutual goal of two standards aims at creating employees' injury, illness and life management framework.

-Plan-Do-Check-Act: The PDCA cycle forms the basis for 2 rules of 2 standards.

- Other similarities:  - Most of requirements mentioned in OHSAS 18001 are found in ISO 45001. These requirements embrace policy ones; legal improvement goals cognitive and capacity requirements; vital resources to support systems and requirements for monitoring, measuring and analyzing OHSAS operations and improvements.

What are some major differences between ISO 45001 and OHSAS 18001?

- Structure: The structure of ISO 45001 which bases on Annex SL is a framework used in other management system standards to help implementation to be smoothier and more effective.

- Hazards and risks: ISO abides by a precautionary procedure which is required to assess and overcome hazards before causing accidents and injuries while OHSAS 18001 only focuses on risk control.

- Management commitment: ISO 45001 requires the combination between health and safety in organization's overall management system and foster leaders' management which will be more effective than that of OHSAS.

- Employees' involvement: ISO 45001 requires employees' pre-audit and education to identify risks and create a safe program that stimulates extensive employee involvement.

 Conclusion:

Regardless of any of production activities, employees need to have knowledge of occupational safety to protect themselves and people around them, which allows them to feel safer and more comfortable in their workplaces. It is a mandatory condition of all human activities; in addition to knowledge, it is necessary for HSE experts to know how to manipulate yourself and guide colleagues to well perform labor safety requirements in all circumstances.