ISO 45001:2018 – Establish, Implement and Maintain OHSMS

The ISO 45001:2018 is a first Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSMS) globally accepted standard. Its main goal is to intervene on organizations to give safe and healthy working environments by eliminating work fatalities, injuries and illnesses. The fundamental requirements of the standard are leadership and involvement of the workers, the planning risk based, the operational controls, the performance measurement, and the continuous improvement.  Its main aim and target include making the workplace safer with reduced chances of developing any risk as well as a safer and healthier working environment amongst all levels of the organization. The standard is congruent with the “Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) circle” and incorporates OHS practices in all the business processes accordingly, in order to enhance continuous growth.

The necessity to implement ISO 45001:2018 comes in especially since the country has a wide industrial profile which comprises areas of high risk, i.e. construction, manufacturing, and BPO. In this case, the DOLE and the OSHC is more significant in terms of facilitating the work enforcement with OSH standards since according to the Republic Act No. 11058 and DOLE Department Order No. 198-2018, they are simultaneous and closely working with ISO 45001:2018.

ISO45001:2018 Certification Process :

Multistep Certification – The ISO 45001:2018 certification is performed in a step-by-step orderly manner that enables organizations to elaborate a strategic roadmap, deploy the system, and validate the effectiveness of Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSMS). Every phase involves adherence to the legal and international requirements, and the final step is certification after an independent organization.

The ISO 45001:2018 certification procedure of Philippine organizations may be as follows:

  1. Gap Analysis and Planning: The organization evaluates the current OHSMS against requirements of the ISO 45001:2018 to determine areas to implement improvements.
  2. Documentation and Policy Development: Policy formulation, hazard identification, risk assessment and control determination against the Occupational Safety and Health Standards (OSHS) of the Department of Labour and employment (DOLE) and other local regulations.
  3. Employee Training and Awareness: Carrying training of the workforce to guarantee an interest and awareness of the new safety rules. The employees should have knowledge about OHS policies and their contribution towards its realization as required by the DOLE and OSHC.
  4. Implementation: OHSMS will be developed or improved to deal with the identification of hazards, day-to-day operations, legalism and adherence to procedures laid down.
  5. Internal Audit and Management Review: Performing evaluation and implementing improvements in respect to the findings of the audit conducted on the effectiveness of the systems and the remedying of the non-conformities.
  6. Certification Audit: This is carried out by the certified certification body in the Philippines with the functions to confirm conformity with the ISO 45001 independently and to formally certify conformity with ISO 45001 to the certified bodies in the Philippines.

 

The ISO 45001:2018 Certification has the following benefits:-

The implementation of the ISO 45001:2018 has significant advantages to the Philippine companies:

  1. Legal Compliance – Legal requirements by the DOLE and OSHS can be met effectively through certification with the potential of less legal fines and industrial accidents.
  2. Risk Reduction: A strategic way of getting rid of hazards present in a work environment or reducing their severity leading to fewer injuries in the workplace, sickness and workplace interruptions.
  3. Employee Welfare: Facilitation of more safer professional environments, more participation, and good will among the employees thus corresponds to better and higher productivity.
  4. Certification: The certification communicates best practices all over the globe to international consumers and partners to enhance access to the market and enhanced brand image.

Obstacles and Practises :-

  • Training of the workforce to carry out new procedures in an environment with different Filipino employees.
  • Ensuring the bridging of the gaps between local regulation standard and ISO 45001 requirements.
  • Proactive safety management as the goal of organizational culture change.

Incorporation of ISO 45001:2018 has a potential to reshape the workplace safety culture drastically in PHP, supporting the mission of DOLE at the same time protecting health and well-being of workforce. The standard will be used as a pillar of strong, sustainable, and internationally competitive organizations, as the industries advance.

 

Why GQS ? 

GQS is your strategic ally in the journey to attaining certificate ISO 45001:2018. Having established success in the Philippine landscape, the quantum of expertise that GQS brings is ability to bring actual, measurable transformations to quality occupational health and safety performance. With GQS, you can trust your organization to be taken through a smooth process, assessment to certification in a manner that best practices, industry requirements and current needs of the Philippines work force can be met. Select GQS as the safe guard of people, reputation, and future.