ISO 45001 certification helps businesses demonstrate a commitment to safe working practices.

To understand the importance of compliant, structured occupational health and safety practices, just imagine what it would be like without them. If there were no regulated processes in place, each business would have to adopt their own approach to work health and safety, and incident handling, and some approaches would probably be far superior to others. People who happen to be working at a company that practices effective OH&S strategies would have their needs provided for, but individuals at companies with less methodical approaches would be out of luck. To ensure that staff everywhere are provided with a safe, compliant work environment it is crucial that all businesses meet their OH&S regulatory obligations, develop compliant work health and safety practices, and demonstrate a commitment to the safety of everyone onsite. Organisations can work towards achieving these goals through the implementation of an Occupational Health and Safety Management System.

An approach to workplace safety that is second to none

Specifically, the ISO 45001 OH&S Standards is an internationally recognised Business Management System that helps companies achieve some complementary goals, including:

• The development of compliant, safe, and healthy workplaces. This is achieved through providing effective OH&S guidance to enable companies to develop strategies relating to the prevention of work-related injuries and accidents.
• Meeting and maintaining its legal, regulatory, and other relevant OH&S obligations. In addition, businesses will be able to develop clear documentation processes, so they can easily prove what actions they have taken to meet their work health and safety obligations.
• Helping companies develop strategies for periodically reviewing the success of their OH&S practices. Through a structured auditing process, businesses will be able to best understand which of their OH&S practices are successful, in that they are doing what they set out to do, and which need to be improved upon. Through this, companies will strive for continual improvement, and the development of a compliant workplace that everyone feels safe in.

One of ISO 45001’s key strengths is that it is applicable to all businesses, no matter their industry, work type, size, or location. It provides clear solutions, that can be implemented across an operations, for ensuring the health and wellbeing requirements of staff are met, and controlling any risks that staff may encounter in their role.

It is clear why ISO 45001 is integral to staff safety. Through its implementation, businesses stand to receive the following benefits:

• Preventing work safety incidents from occurring: When it comes to effective OH&S practices, prevention beats cure. It is far better to identify potential safety risks and take steps to mitigate them before they impact workers, than attempt to deal with them after an incident occurs. ISO 45001 certification helps businesses develop forward-thinking procedures to prevent accidents from occurring.
• An overall reduction in expenses: Through ISO 45001 certification, companies will develop smoother, safer practices, and minimise staff downtime. This means that the business will be an overall more productive workplace. Further, the reduction of onsite incidents can help keep insurance costs down, furthering the businesses position as a safe, cost-effective operations.
• Make all staff feel valued: A truism in business is that happier staff are more productive. ISO 45001 certification demonstrates to staff that a business is concerned about their physical and mental wellbeing, and is taking appropriate steps to provide them with a safe working environment. Through this, staff can fully concentrate on their work duties, free from any work safety worries.

Our OH&S specialists are here to answer your questions

This article has just briefly touched on some of the primary benefits of implementing the ISO 45001 OH&S Standards. However, there are many more, and the specific ways it helps your business achieve its goals will depend on many factors, including its industry, size, location, and so on. That is, although all businesses will benefit from certification, the specific advantages it will bring to your organisation depend on these factors.

To find out more about how your business can work at developing a safe, productive work culture, please contact our specialist consultants today by filling out this simple online contact us form, or by calling them on 1300 802 163. All you need to do is tell them a bit about your operations, and they can explain to you specifically how ISO 45001 certification could benefit your company, and help it achieve both its short and long-term goals. Doesn’t that sound like a safe bet?

Please click here to learn about how an amendment to the Victorian OH&S Regulations will ensure the safety of staff, in a particular industry, whilst at work.