OHSAS 18001 2007

IN PLAIN ENGLISH

INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION TO OHSAS 18001

OHSAS 18001 2007 is an occupational health and safety management standard. It defines a set of occupational health and safety (OH&S) management requirements for occupational health and safety management systems (OHSMS).

OHSAS 18001 2007 was developed by the OHSAS Project Group, a consortium of 43 organizations from 28 countries. This consortium includes national standards bodies, registrars (certification bodies), OH&S institutes, and consultants.

This new OHSAS 18001 2007 standard was officially published during July of 2007. It cancels and replaces OHSAS 18001 1999. Since it was first published in 1999, OHSAS 18001 has rapidly become the most widely used international OH&S management standard. OHSAS 18001 applies to all types of organizations. It doesn’t matter what size they are or what they do.

The purpose of OHSAS 18001 is to help organizations to manage and control their OH&S risks and to improve their OH&S performance. They can achieve this purpose by developing an OHSMS that complies with OHSAS 18001.

An OHSMS is a network of interrelated elements. These elements include responsibilities, authorities, relationships, functions, activities, processes, practices, procedures, and resources. These elements are used to establish OH&S policies, plans, programs, and objectives.

Certainly the concept of an OHSMS is rather abstract. However, fortunately, you don’t really have to completely grasp, absorb or memorize what it means. Simply by meeting all of the OHSAS 18001 requirements (Part 4), you will automatically establish an integrated OHSMS for your organization.
 

If you don’t already have an occupational health and safety management system (OHSMS), you can use this OHSAS 18001 standard to establish one. And once you’ve established your organization’s OHSMS, you can use it to manage and control your OH&S risks and to improve your OH&S performance.

OHSAS 18001 expects organizations to comply with all of the requirements that make up the standard. According to the standard, your OHSMS must comply with every OHSAS 18001 requirement (Part 4 of the standard).

However, the size and complexity of OHSMSs vary quite a bit. How far you go is up to you. The size and complexity of your OHSMS, the extent of your documentation, and the resources allocated to your system will depend on many things. How you meet each of the OHSAS 18001 requirements, and to what extent, depends on many factors, including:

1. The size of your organization
2. The location of your organization
3. The nature of your organization’s culture
4. The nature of your organization’s activities
5. The nature of your organization’s legal obligations
6. The nature and scope of your organization’s OHSMS
7. The content of your organization’s OH&S policy
8. The nature of your organization’s OH&S hazards
9. The nature of your organization’s OH&S risks

OHSAS 18001 is designed to be used for certification (registration) purposes. However, OHSAS 18001 does not require certification. You can be in compliance without being formally certified (registered). You can self-assess (self audit) your OHSMS and simply declare that it complies with the OHSAS 18001 standard (if it actually does).

If you wish to become certified, you need to ask a registrar to audit your OHSMS. If your system complies with OHSAS 18001, your registrar will issue a Certificate that you can use to formally announce that your OHSMS is compliant.
 

OHSAS 18001 uses what is called the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) methodology. It uses this methodology to organize the standard and you can use it to establish your OHSMS.

The PDCA methodology is used to organize
OHSAS 18001 in the following way:

1. PLAN. Parts 4.1, 4.2, and 4.3 expect you
   to plan the establishment of your OHSMS.

2. DO. Part 4.4 expects you to implement your OHSMS.

3. CHECK. Parts 4.5 and 4.6 expect you to monitor,
   measure, and report on the performance of your OHSMS.

4. ACT. Parts 4.5 and 4.6 expect you to improve your OHSMS.

You can also use a PDCA approach to help you establish your organization’s OHSMS. By taking the following 4 steps you will be using a PDCA approach:

1. PLAN. Plan your OHSMS.

2. DO. Establish your OHSMS.

3. CHECK. Evaluate your OHSMS.

4. ACT. Improve your OHSMS.

YOUR GENERAL APPROACH

The following material presents a brief OHSMS development plan. It summarizes the general approach you will take to develop your own unique OHSMS. It uses a PDCA approach and is taken directly from our OHSAS 18001 Translated into Plain English. If you use our plain English standard to develop your organization’s OHSMS, you will automatically take the following steps:

1. Define the scope of your OHSMS.
2. Define your organization’s OHSMS policy.
3. Develop a methodology to identify hazards and assess risks.
4. Establish procedures to identify hazards and assess risks.
5. Identify your organization’s hazards and assess your risks.
6. Establish procedures to evaluate and select OH&S controls.
7. Evaluate the adequacy of your existing OH&S controls.
8. Select OH&S controls that reduce your OH&S risks.
9. Document the results of your control selection process.
10. Identify relevant legal and nonlegal OH&S requirements.
11. Respect all relevant legal and nonlegal OH&S requirements.
12. Establish unique OH&S objectives for your organization.
13. Establish programs to achieve your OH&S objectives.
14. Appoint a member of top management to manage OH&S.
15. Ensure the competence of those who influence OH&S.
16. Identify your OH&S training and awareness needs.
17. Establish OH&S training and awareness procedures.
18. Implement OH&S training and awareness procedures.
19. Establish procedures to manage OH&S communications.
20. Establish procedures to manage OH&S participation.
21. Document your organization’s unique OHSMS.
22. Control your organization’s OH&S documents and records.
23. Implement controls to manage OH&S hazards and risks.
24. Establish an OH&S emergency management process.
25. Monitor and measure your organization’s OH&S performance.
26. Record the results of your OH&S monitoring and measuring.
27. Evaluate compliance with legal and nonlegal requirements.
28. Record the results of your OH&S compliance evaluations.
29. Establish procedures to investigate OH&S incidents.
30. Establish nonconformity management procedures.
31. Perform regular internal audits of your OHSMS.
32. Review your OHSMS at planned intervals.
33. Update and improve your OHSMS.

Of course, you may already have an existing OHSMS. If this is true, you don’t need to follow a detailed OHSMS development plan. You would probably find it easier and more efficient to use a gap analysis approach, instead.

A gap analysis would compare your existing OHSMS with the OHSAS 18001 requirements. Such a comparison would pinpoint the areas that fall short of the standard (the gaps). By focusing on filling your unique occupational health and safety gaps, you will soon comply with the OHSAS 18001 standard.

If you already have an existing OHSMS , a gap analysis is more targeted and efficient. It is more targeted and efficient because it takes an incremental approach and ignores areas that already comply with the standard.

Overview of OHSAS 18001 Occupational Health and Safety Standard

OHSAS 18001 Plain English Occupational Health and Safety Definitions

OHSAS 18001 2007 OH&S Standard Translated into Plain English

OHSAS 18001 2007 Internal OH&S Audit Program

OHSAS 18001 2007 OH&S Gap Analysis Tool

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