ISO 45001- Occupational Health and Safety Management System

ISO 45001:2018 is an internationally recognized standard for managing occupational health and safety in the workplace, and any organization wishing to implement stringent measures to reduce risks associated with occupational health and safety can adopt the standard requirements application. This standard specifies and guides using the requirements for an occupational health and safety management system, to enable organizations to provide safe and healthy workplaces by preventing work-related injuries and illnesses, and proactively improving the performance of the occupational health and safety system. The standard is designed to identify the impact of the organization’s activities on occupational health and safety aspects and to help reduce the risk of accidents and any breaches of applicable legal and regulatory requirements. ISO 45001:2018 was developed as an alternative to OHSAS 18001:2007 to fill the gap where no other international occupational health and safety standard.

Occupational safety and health in facilities constitute a system that prevents work-related injuries and diseases and health protection and promotion. Occupational health involves maintaining the highest degree of safety and physical and mental health of workers in all professions, in addition to contributing effectively to raising their productivity in terms of quantity and quality, as well as reducing the loss resulting from accidents and their economic and social effects, and sick leave days, compensations and other accidents consequences and occupational diseases. The occupational safety and health management system is considered the general framework through which all responsibilities related to occupational safety and health are managed for all workers and those dealing with any institution. This system helps institutions increase the effectiveness of their performance by working in an integrated manner that ultimately achieves a high level of quality. Over the past five years, Saudi Arabia has witnessed decreased work-related accidents. This improvement in the work environment in the Kingdom has affected the national program and special initiatives that have been launched since the start of Saudi Vision 2030.

Importance of the ISO 45001

The ISO 45001 certification is crucial because it can help improve the delivery of an organization’s products and services. It pledges to follow a set of globally accepted quality management standards by obtaining ISO certification with the international system’s accreditation. This usually requires altering how an organization operates, and the gains may be several. Since it encourages consistent action and increases efficiency, organizations that follow strict international standards are more likely to enjoy better customer retention and increased profitability.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia encourages all establishments to adopt the Occupational Health and Safety System by spreading the benefits to those establishments, which are:

• Continuing the wheel of production and increasing production capacity.
• Enhancing and improving work efficiency in the establishment.
• Improving the production process is reflected in the quality of products and services.
• Reducing costs for compensation resulting from injuries and accidents at work.
• Gaining the trust of customers and investors in the facility.
• Giving a good image and reputation to the facility.
• Contributing to attracting talented employees.
• Reducing the insurance costs of the facility with insurance companies.
• Protecting the human element from the risks of the work environment.
• Preserving the facility’s investments in its facilities and equipment.

ISO 45001 for Organizations and Companies

ISO 45001 consists of ten main items:

1- Scope (Knowing the context of the organization as a whole, and identifying all the objectives that need to be achieved on an ongoing basis.)

2- Normative references (Meeting the needs and expectations of the organization’s stakeholders)

3- Terms and definitions

4- Context of the organization (Knowing the scope of occupational health and safety management.)

5- Leadership and worker participation (Determining the role of leadership in achieving the objectives of that system)

6- Planning (A good study to develop an appropriate program to implement the occupational health and safety management system.)

7- Support (Knowing the role of senior management and knowing how to achieve it with high efficiency)

8- Operations

9- Performance evaluation (Evaluating the performance of institutions and companies.)

10- Improvement (Continuously developing and improving the performance of the organization)

ISO 45001 role

• ISO 45001 specifies and guides the use of requirements for an occupational health and safety (OH&S) management system to enable organizations to provide safe and healthy workplaces by preventing work-related injuries and ill health and through proactive improvement.
• ISO 45001 applies to any organization that wishes to establish, implement, and maintain an OH&S management system to improve occupational health and safety, eliminate hazards and reduce OH&S risks (including deficiencies in work systems), take advantage of OH&S opportunities, and address non-conforming OH&S management within the specified system.
• ISO 45001 applies to any organization regardless of size, type, and activities. It applies to OH&S risks within the organization’s control, considering factors such as the context in which the organization operates and the needs and expectations of its workers and other stakeholders.
• The standard does not prescribe specific OH&S performance standards, nor is it prescriptive on the design of an OH&S management system.
• This OH&S management system enables an organization to integrate other health and safety aspects, such as worker well-being.
• ISO 45001 does not address issues such as product safety, property damage, or environmental impacts, but rather focuses on risks to workers and other relevant stakeholders.
• ISO 45001 can be used completely or partially to improve occupational health and safety management. However, claims of conformity with this document are unacceptable unless all of its requirements are integrated into the organization’s occupational health and safety management system and are met without exception.
• ISO 45001 certification helps an organization achieve the desired outcomes of its occupational health and safety management system. In line with the organization’s occupational health and safety policy, the desired outcomes of an occupational health and safety management system include:
• Continuous improvement of occupational health and safety performance.
• Meeting legal and other requirements.
• Achieving occupational health and safety objectives.

Advantages and Benefits of ISO 45001

There are many benefits and advantages in achieving the requirements of occupational health management, which are:

• Developing the institution’s performance and its commitment to the legal regulations that pertain to all areas of occupational health and safety management.
• Reducing the costs of the institution or company by reducing the rate of work injuries.
• Reducing the percentage of costs resulting from insurance for workers and employees.
• Reducing the days of absence of employees.
• Enhancing trust between the institution and customers.
• Developing and improving the institution’s interface by giving customers full trust.
• Providing opportunities for the institution to enter government tenders.
• Increasing the profits of the institution.

What is the specialty of security and safety?

It is the specialty responsible for making the work environment healthy and safe for both the worker and the employer represented by the facility and what it contains in addition to productivity and work efficiency. It is some laws, the proper application of which works to enhance safety precautions ensure the safety of everyone, and reduce the potential risk rates.

What is the difference between occupational safety and occupational health?

We can define occupational safety as protecting the worker from all possible injuries he may be exposed to in his work facility. Occupational health consists of either injuries that may affect the worker’s health at the time, or occupational diseases that he would not have been exposed to if he had not been practicing this profession, such as respiratory and hearing diseases resulting from pollution in unsafe workplaces.

What are occupational safety and health risks?

Occupational safety and health risks are the risks that workers are exposed to in the workplace as a result of their exposure to unsuitable or unsafe working conditions, including excessive heat, low temperatures, dust, noise, harmful radiation, harmful chemicals, and other conditions that lead to various occupational injuries or diseases.

What are the occupational health and safety manager’s duties and responsibilities?

Vary between developing and implementing health and safety plans in the workplace and evaluating the procedures to assess potential risks. He also works to ensure that all employees in the facility adhere to the application of occupational health laws according to the established standards.

National Council of Occupational Safety and Health

The Saudi Council of Ministers approved the organization of the National Council of Occupational Safety and Health, which is directly linked to the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development, its membership includes representatives of the relevant authorities in its field and enjoys the powers that enable it to carry out its tasks in the best possible way, which are:

1. Reviewing legislation and regulations related to occupational safety and health, and proposing the necessary amendments.
2. Establishing an effective and comprehensive monitoring and evaluation system for occupational safety and health.
3. Developing a comprehensive national program for reporting work accidents, injuries, and occupational diseases.
4. Documenting reports.
5. Providing consultations and technical support in the field of occupational health.
6. Developing and adopting a specific and clear governance structure for occupational safety and health at the national level to ensure an effective and flexible system for implementing safety provisions in the workplace.
7. Evaluating and following up on the impact and sustainability of occupational safety and health activities on the work environment.
8. Enhancing cooperation between employers and workers.

The Ministry of Labor and Social Development, with the support of the Human Resources Development Fund, launched the Occupational Safety and Health Cadres Program to enhance the knowledge and skills of human cadres in occupational safety and health through two tracks: practitioner and professional, to enhance the application of occupational safety and health practices in the facility.

The Saudi Standards, Metrology, and Quality Organization

Speaking of occupational safety and health, the Saudi Standards, Metrology, and Quality Organization are crucial in achieving safety in the workplace. The organization has prepared a guide for occupational safety and health procedures in the work environment, which includes clear “safety logos and signs” among the occupational safety and health requirements for workers in all fields with different risk ratios.

This guide provides the technical and technical specifications and special guidance that facility owners and workers need in the workplace to protect them from potential risks.

The Ministry of Human Resources also provides many important guidance documents on its official website, such as:

• Guidance documents for implementing the Occupational Safety and Health Management Regulations. They are guidance models for the Occupational Safety and Health Management Regulations, risk assessment, emergency plan, etc.
• Practical practices booklet in occupational safety and health.
• Guidance books on work injuries and improving occupational safety and health in institutions.
• Guidance booklet on prevention of work hazards and prevention of major industrial accidents and work injuries and health and social services.

Six Pillars Foundation

Within the framework of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s interest in occupational safety and health, the Six Pillars Foundation comes as one of the branches of the “ENSCO National Science” Company, as an institution accredited by the Saudi Civil Defense and other relevant official bodies, such as (Ministry of Interior – Ministry of Commerce – Municipal and Rural Affairs).

The Six Pillars provides specialized services, consultations, and training related to safety and rehabilitation in security, safety, and occupational health, and helps companies, factories, and individuals obtain certificates and approved reports in the field of occupational safety.

We also provide at the Six Pillars Foundation multiple comprehensive services in the field of security, safety, and occupational health by professionally specialized consultants, and these services are:

• Preparing preventive plans
• Preparing technical reports
• Risk analysis and assessment
• Preventive awareness
• Technical consultations
• Contractor reports

Process of obtaining ISO 45001 certification in Saudi Arabia

• To obtain the ISO 45001 occupational safety and health certificate in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, determine the ISO process plan that you want to implement
• You will conduct an eligibility check, and evaluation, and develop an audit strategy.
• After the pre-assessment, you will present the company with a business plan.
• After approval, we ask you to upload the appropriate documents on our website and pay the certification fee online or offline.
• A series of audits will be conducted to ensure that your organization meets the requirements of ISO certification.

Guidance also offers occupational safety certification courses to help individuals understand the requirements of ISO 45001 standards before implementation.

Guidance for Consulting and Training

We have the knowledge and experience to help institutions and individuals comply with the requirements of the Saudi Standards and Quality Organization, the Food and Drug Authority, and other entities that impose legal and mandatory requirements in the Saudi market.

To qualify your facility, train its personnel and fulfill the required documents to implement the quality and ISO systems.