OHSAS 18001 to ISO 45001 Brief
Initially published in 1999, OHSAS 18001 has long been an acknowledged and successful gauge for occupational health and safety management system reliability, acceptance performance. Even now, seventeen years later, construction companies continue to reap the benefits of OHSAS 18001 certification. But all good things remain open to improvement. In February 2016, development of a new standard, ISO 45001, moved into full swing.
Update April 2017 – ISO 45001 Published
As previously noted, ISO 45001 is purposed to take the place of the broadly implemented but aged OHSAS 18001. Many construction contractors that currently reap the benefits of OHSAS 18001 certification are already in the process of migration to the new ISO 45001 standards. Those companies just now coming on board aim to move directly into an ISO 45001 safety and health configuration. It’s not a panic situation, but within three years OHSAS 18001 will likely fall to the wayside. Aggressive response is necessary.
ISO/DIS 45001.2:2017
By February 2016, the Draft International Standard (DIS) made available the 1st DIS ISO 45001 publication. Dates associated with a 2nd DIS ranged from December 2016 to January 2017, and expectations of the final standard stretched into mid-2017. The April update is now completed.
Routinely acknowledged as ISO/DIS2 45001, the April release makes first publication of the new global OH&S standards-based management system. Download the Assignar ISO 45001 handbook at, “Reaping the Contractor Benefits of Applied ISO 45001.”
In core focus, the new standard spotlights organization context. ISO 45001 is about going further than a focus on the benefits of issues pertaining to organizational health and safety. It’s about opening up to the health and safety concepts and expectations of society and an integrated world focus.
ISO 45001 standards aim to replace the old pattern of delegating responsibilities to a specific “safety” manager with an organizational-operations integrated process. The goal: Infuse top management leadership into the overall OH&S management system.
Update July 2017 – ISO 45001 Published
In conclusion: ISO 45001 forward motion planning and development of standards aims for follow-up publication perhaps as early as November 2017 and may extend into the second quarter of 2018. Much depends upon the outcome of a scheduled September 2017 ISO committee meeting. As always, the Assignar health and safety research experts will provide additional details as such details become generally available.
For those clients in need of technical support, training and aid with the OHSAS 18001 to ISO 45001 implementation or migration, the Assignar workforce and asset allocation and planning team is here to help. Click here to learn more about Assignar guidance in “ISO 14001 Implementation In Construction.”
