OHSAS 18001 Health & Safety Management Standard FAQs

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What is the ‘OHSAS 18001’?
Who is ‘OHSAS 18001’ relevant to?
What are the benefits ‘OHSAS 18001’?
‘OHSAS 18001’ within 30 days?

What is the ‘OHSAS 18001’?

The OHSAS 18001:1999 Health and Safety Management Systems (HSMS) Standard is primarily concerned with ‘Health and Safety Management’ issues. It is a generic standard, and as such can be applied to any size or type of organisation, whatever its product or service, in any sector of activity, and whether it is a business enterprise, a public agency or government department.

The OHSAS 18001 Standard includes the following main sections:

Health and Safety Management System (HSMS) Requirements

Health and safety Policy
HSMS Planning
Implementation and Operation
Checking and Corrective Action
Management Review

If you would like to know more about ISO standards, please download our on-line brochures.

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Who is ‘OHSAS 18001’ relevant to?

OHSAS 18001 can be adopted by any organisation wishing to implement a formal framework for reducing Health and Safety risks in the working environment for employees, customers and the general public.

In almost all countries, organisations are required to adhere to Health and Safety legislation. The formal adoption of OHSAS 18001 makes abundant sense as it enables employers to reduce their legal liability, insurance risks and the possibility of enforcement action or fines from Government Health and Safety agencies.

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What are the benefits ‘OHSAS 18001’?

OHSAS 18001:1999 certification is not a legal requirement, however, the number of companies facing litigation costs due to Health and Safety related negligence cases from employees is soaring due to the proliferation of ‘no-win-no-fee’ legal services.

Directors and officers of companies can also prevent cases of criminal negligence by ensuring an externally audited management system covering Health and Safety is in place.

In most cases, insurance companies will not cover Health and Safety related legal costs where the company has been negligent in not adequately maintaining a Health and Safety Management System. Usually, the onus is on the company to prove that to its insurers that it has an externally audited HSMS in place.

Most companies opt to achieve certification for key reasons including:

Improvements in organisations efficiency and effectiveness
Enhanced employee satisfaction
Meeting legal requirements for employers
Reduced insurance costs
Competitive advantage over rivals
Requirement within ‘invitations to tender’
Requirement within ‘supply chains’

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‘OHSAS 18001’ within 30 days?

With IMS Certification Limited, your organisation is ‘Guaranteed ‘certification within 30 days’ and benefits from a risk-free ‘No Certificate – No Fee’ promise.

Organisations successfully achieving certification against ISO Standards are entered onto the prestigious ‘International ISO Register,’ which is freely available to the public and certification bodies to search and confirm company certification registrations.

Your Next Step

If you would like to discuss your specific certification requirements further, please use the on-line Enquiry Form.

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