Let’s talk ISO:45001
October 29, 2024
Have you heard of ISO:45001?
You may be thinking… “are these just numbers to do with safety?”
I know only too well that when people hear reference numbers or legislation it can be off putting or ‘like watching paint dry’.
Having said this, ISO:45001 IS something for our business to be excited about. So, what is it, why is it so good for our business, and what are the benefits?
What is ISO:45001?
ISO:45001 is an international standard that specifies requirements for an occupational health and safety (OH&S) management system. It provides a framework for organisations to manage risks and improve OH&S performance.
The standard establishes criteria for an OH&S policy, which includes:
- objectives,
- planning,
- implementation,
- operation,
- auditing,
- and review.
The seven key elements of these are:
- leadership commitment,
- worker participation,
- hazard identification and risk assessment,
- legal and regulatory compliance,
- emergency planning,
- incident investigation
- and continual improvement.
ISO:45001 utilises the Plan-Do-Check-Act methodology to systematically manage health and safety risks. It applies to organisations of all sizes and can be integrated with other ISO management system standards.
Why is ISO:45001 important for occupational health and safety?
Implementing ISO:45001 provides significant value to organisations looking to reduce workplace incidents and demonstrate OH&S commitment.
Benefits include:
- ISO:45001 provides an internationally recognised framework for managing occupational health and safety risks. It enables organisations to systematically assess hazards and implement risk control measures, leading to reduced workplace injuries, illnesses, and incidents.
- Adopting the standard shows employees and external stakeholders that the organisation is committed to worker health, safety, and wellbeing. This boosts reputation, morale, and retention.
- The standard requires complying with OH&S regulations, ensuring legal conformity. It also promotes proactive risk management, potentially lowering insurance premiums.
- By requiring emergency preparedness and response protocols, ISO:45001 strengthens organisational resilience against safety threats and crises.
- The framework of plan, do, check act means the OH&S system can continually improve and evolve, enhancing long-term worker health and safety performance.
ISO:45001 enables organisations to better protect their workers and manage OH&S risks, making it an essential standard worldwide.
At a glance, ISO:45001…
- Provides a framework to systematically manage OH&S risks
- Reduces workplace incidents and injuries
- Demonstrates commitment to worker health and safety
- Ensures compliance with OH&S regulations
- Increases organisational resilience
- Enables continual improvement of OH&S performance
- Provides reassurance to potential and existing clients
- Helps to reduce claims
In summary, Premier Estates Limited currently hold the certification, however this needs to be maintained, and our business ISO:45001 structure is tested annually by our external audit provider, Citation.
Our business also has access to the ISO:45001 training portal, where our employees can learn and find out all about ISO:45001.
Our Directors recently attended the Senior Leadership course provided by Mentor (the training provider for Citation) and found this to be beneficial.
Author: Colin Whalley, Head of Risk Management.
Premier Estates Ltd provide award-winning property management services across the UK. If you would like to speak to one of our team about managing your property portfolio, please call 0345 491 8899.
