OHS18 -- Setting the Standard in Health & Safety Management

The OHSAS 18000 series of standards that includes OHSAS 18001 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems (OHSMS) grew out of the international success of the ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 series of Standards and the need for managing safety in the work environment. This Standard was created from the British Standard for Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems BS 8800:1996. In addition to the OHSAS 18001 Occupational Health and Safety Management Specifications there is a guidance document in this series known as OHSAS 18002:2000 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems Guidelines for the implementation of OHSAS 18001. Organizations self certify or register to only the OHSAS 18001 Standard.

There are six (6) primary sections that classify the requirements in OHSAS 18001. Within these six sections of the Standard are the specific requirements that an organization must apply to implement an OHSMS. The Standard tracks very closely with the ISO 14001 Standard and is designed to integrate with both the ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 managment systems. Many sub-clauses are very similar, such as management review, document control, and corrective and preventive action.

Intent
The OHSAS 18001 system is geared towards reducing and preventing accidents and accident-related loss of lives, time and resources.

Applicability
OHSAS 18001 can be applied to any type of business, organization or industry that wishes to manage its risks for Health & Safety in the work place.

What is OHSAS 18001?
OHSAS is an international occupational health and safety management system specification. It comprises two parts, 18001 and 18002 and embraces a number of other publications. For the record, the following other documents, amongst others, were used in the creation process:

BS8800:1996 Guide to occupational health and safety management systems

DNV Standard for Certification of Occupational Health and Safety Management

Systems(OHSMS):1997

Technical Report NPR 5001: 1997 Guide to an occupational health and safety

management system

Draft LRQA SMS 8800 Health & safety management systems assessment criteria

SGS & ISMOL ISA 2000:1997 Requirements for Safety and Health Management

Systems

BVQI SafetyCert: Occupational Safety and Health Management Standard

Draft AS/NZ 4801 Occupational health and safety management systems Specification

with guidance for use

Draft BSI PAS 088 Occupational health and safety management systems

UNE 81900 series of pre-standards on the Prevention of occupational risks

Draft NSAI SR 320 Recommendation for an Occupational Health and Safety (OH and S)

Management System

OHSAS 18001 is an Occupation Health and Safety Assessment Series for health and safety management systems. It is intended to help organizations to control and reduce occupational health and safety risks. It was developed in response to widespread demand for a recognized standard against which to be certified and assessed.

Intent The OHSAS 18001 system is geared towards reducing and preventing accidents and accident-related loss of lives, time and resources.

Applicability
OHSAS 18001 can be applied to any type of business, organization or industry that wishes to manage its risks for Health & Safety in the work place.

Compatibilities
OHSAS 18001 has been developed to be compatible with the ISO 9001 (Quality) and ISO 14001 (Environmental) management systems standards, in order to facilitate the integration of quality, environmental and occupational health and safety management systems by organizations, should they wish to do so.

The (OHSAS) specification gives requirements for an occupational health and safety (OH&S) management system, to enable an organization to control its OH&S risks and improve its performance. It does not state specific OH&S performance criteria, nor does it give detailed specifications for the design of a management system.

OHSAS 18001
This standard is not an ISO standard and for this reason it hasn't done what it set out to do. In fact the ISO committees recently voted to not develop an ISO standard relating to OHS (Occupational Health and Safety), the main reason being that they do not want to develop a standard unless there is clear demand for one in this particular area.

However, the industry seems to indicate that the time is right to develop such a standard and Integrated Management Systems appears in many places, with OHS being an integral component along with QMS and EMS.