Health and Safety Blog

Nothing is more important than the safety, health and security of an organisation’s employees. It goes without saying, “Better a thousand times careful than once dead”. Occupational Health and Safety in UAE is a growing concern and is of paramount importance in today’s work laden times. ISO 45001:2018 is a course in Occupational Safety and Health management system which is a multidisciplinary approach towards safety, health, and welfare of the people at work. In this article you will learn about ISO 45001 certification UAE importance.

The focus in occupational health is on three different objectives:

• The maintenance and promotion of workers’ health and working capacity
• The improvement of the working environment and work to become conducive to safety and health
• Development of work organisations and working cultures in a direction which supports health and safety at work and in doing so also promotes a positive social climate and smooth operation and may enhance the productivity of the undertakings.

The concept of working culture is intended in this context to mean a reflection of the essential value systems adopted by the undertaking concerned. Such a culture is reflected in practice in the managerial systems, personnel policy, principles for participation, training policies and quality management of the undertaking.

-Joint ILO/WHO Committee on Occupational Health

ISO 45001, Occupational health and safety management systems were published in March of 2018. ISO 45001 certification UAE is professional certification on Occupational Health and Safety Management System.

If an organisation is ISO 45001 certified, it means that the organisation upholds the principles of Occupational health and safety and has a practising policy regarding it. Having ISO 45001 certification UAE not only boosts the company reputation but also makes employees feel safe and cared for.

An effective occupational health and safety management system provide a proper framework for an organisation in order to have guided and controlled health and safety management system. This helps in the promotion of a safe and healthy working environment as well as improving the organisation’s overall performance. The figure below shows how ISO 45001 Certification UAE is given by Certification bodies

ISO 45001 is an International Standard. The requirements for an occupational health and safety OHS management system are specified in ISO 45001. The proper guidelines for its usage are also provided. With the help of ISO 45001, an organisation becomes capable of proactively improving its Occupational Health and Security performance. It ensures the prevention of injury and ill-health due to the hazardous workplace environment. Regardless of the size, type and nature of the organisation, ISO 45001 is flexible and thus applicable to all. The health, safety, and well-being of an organisation’s employees are integrated with the help of its Occupational Health and Safety management system.

Each day, several lives are lost due to work-related accidents or fatal diseases caused by activities linked to the workplace. Such deaths are meaningless and could have been prevented if proper precautionary measures were in place. The aim of ISO 45001 is to help the organisations in making the workplace safer and healthier for their employees.

It doesn’t matter whether are you an employee or a manager, or the owner of the business itself. The goal that you share is pretty straightforward and simple- No one should get hurt while doing their jobs. If the safety of a workplace is ensured and the trust and transparency of the operations are ensured, it will result in improved productivity. If you are a socially responsible organisation, the reputation and trust in your organisation will be improved.

ISO 45001 provides a clear framework for all the organisations who wish to improve their Occupational Health Safety management systems. The aim of ISO 45001 is to provide a safe and healthy working environment for both the employees and the visitors of the organisation. All the factors which might result in illness, injury and in some cases even death is controlled by taking precautionary measures. All these aspects are covered by ISO 45001.

A few features that make ISO 45001 certification UAE unique are as follows:

• 1 ISO 45001 is a process-based certification.
• 2 ISO 45001 is dynamic in all clauses.
• 3 ISO 45001 considers both the risk and opportunities present.
• 4 ISO 45001 includes the views of all the interested parties, such as the shareholders, the stakeholders etc.

The intended users of ISO 45001 Occupational Health and safety UAE certification are all the organisations out there. Having a systematic approach towards the management of health and safety of its employees and the workplace will benefit the organisation in several ways. High risk and large organisations, as well as small, low-risk organisations, can both use the ISO 45001 certification UAE. The standard requires that all the Occupational Health and Safety risks are addressed and properly managed.

A risk-based approach to the OHS management system is taken in order to ensure the following:

• The effectiveness of the Occupational Health and safety management system
• Improvement in the Occupational Health and Safety Management System to meet an organisation’s policies and principles

You can implement ISO 45001 with the help of independent third parties such as the PECB. This can help in demonstrating the fact that your organisation is highly committed to maintaining and implementing an effective health and safety management system.

A third-party audit is performed by independent certification bodies, e. g. PECB. These certification bodies verify whether an organization is compliant with the requirements of ISO 45001. If the organization fulfils the set criteria, an ISO 45001 certification UAE is given to it. Annual surveillance audits are done to ensure the maintenance of the ISO 45001 certification. Re-certification is performed after a period of 3 years.

If you want to have ISO 45001 certification UAE for your organization, you need to have the following documents:

The following documents are mandatory and must be possessed by the organization:

• The scope of the OHS management system (clause 4.3)
• OH&S policy (clause 5.2)
• Responsibilities and authorities within OHS Management System (clause 5.3)
• OH&S process for addressing risks and opportunities (clause 6.1.1)
• Methodology and criteria for the assessment of OH&S risks (clause 6.1.2.2)
• OH&S objectives and plans for achieving them (clause 6.2.2)
• Emergency preparedness and response process (clause 8.2)

The records which an organization must have in order to get ISO 45001certification are as follows:

• OH&S risks and opportunities and actions for addressing them (clause 6.1.1)
• Legal and other requirements (clause 6.1.3)
• Evidence of competence (clause 7.2)
• Evidence of communications (clause 7.4.1)
• Plans for responding to potential emergency situations (clause 8.2)
• Results on monitoring, measurements, analysis and performance evaluation (clause 9.1.1)
• Maintenance, calibration or verification of monitoring equipment (clause 9.1.1)
• Compliance evaluation results (clause 9.1.2)
• Internal audit program (clause 9.2.2)
• Internal audit report (clause 9.2.2)
• Results of management review (clause 9.3)
• Nature of incidents or nonconformities and any subsequent action is taken (clause 10.2)
• Results of any action and corrective action, including their effectiveness (clause 10.2)
• Evidence of the results of continual improvement (clause 10.3)

The following documents can also be attached in order to gain ISO 45001 certification UAE.

• 1 Procedure for Determining Context of the Organization and Interested Parties (clause 4.1)
• 2 OH&S Manual (clause 4)
• 3 Procedure for Consultation and Participation of Workers (clause 5.4)
• 4 Procedure for Hazard Identification and Assessment (clause 6.1.2.1)
• 5 Procedure for Identification of Legal Requirements (clause 6.1.3)
• 6 Procedure for Communication (clause 7.4.1)
• 7 Procedure for Document and Record Control (clause 7.5)
• 8 Procedure for Operational Planning and Control (clause 8.1)
• 9 Procedure for Change Management (clause 8.1.3)
• 10 Procedure for Monitoring, Measuring, and Analysis (clause 9.1.1)
• 11 Procedure for Compliance Evaluation (clause 9.1.2)
• 12 Procedure for Internal Audit (clause 9.2)
• 13 Procedure for Management Review (clause 9.3)
• 14 Procedure for Incident Investigation (clause 10.1)
• 15 Procedure for Management of Nonconformities and Corrective Actions (clause 10.1)
• 16 Procedure for Continual Improvement (clause 10.3)

To the Organization

A few benefits of getting ISO 45001 certification UAE for your company are as follows:

• The possible risks to the employees of working in an unsafe environment are eradicated completely or minimized to some extent.
• A better, healthier and safer working environment is established in the organization.
• Having ISO 45001 certification UAE shows that you are confident about your organization’s working principles and policies.
• Risks of on-site accidents are reduced because all the safety and precautionary measures are in place.
• Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems of the organization are implemented, maintained and improved if you get ISO 45001 certification UAE.
• Legislative and regulatory compliance is ensured with the help of ISO 45001 certification UAE.
• If you are ISO 45001 certified, it reduces the risks of your organization being fined and prosecuted because you are already following high standards of safety and security.
• Employees get more involved with regards to the safety of the working environment.
• The confidence of company stakeholders is increased since ISO 45001 is an internationally acknowledged occupational health and safety standard.
• New and effective procedures regarding Occupational Health and Safety UAE are implemented in the organisation.

To the customers of the Organisation

• With the help of ISO 45001, the reputation of the organization is highly improved.
• It will boost the image of the organization as being a socially responsible organization and increase both the employee turnover rate and the customer rate.
• Gaining ISO 45001 Certification UAE shows the commitment of the organization to its stakeholders.
• The overall occupational health and safety management system are improved.
• The morale of customers is improved when they know that the company has an ISO 45001 certification.
• Since ISO 45001 certification UAE is given independently, it shows that an organization is highly committed to the safety of its workplace and employees.
• Since the organization is following a health and safety protocol, the expenditure on rework, damages, and waste is highly reduced.

Other Benefits of getting an ISO 45001 Certification UAE

If the organization’s Occupational Health and Safety Management system is ISO 45001 based, the following benefits will be derived by it:

• The development and implementation of an Occupational Health and Safety policy along with setting goals and objectives
• A systematic procedure is established which takes all the risk factors, opportunities, legal requirements etc. into consideration before laying out a roadmap.
• The hazards and risks present in the workplace are determined and measures are taken in order to eliminate them and control their effects in the future.
• All the safety measures will ensure that the reputation of the organisation as a safe and friendly place to work is promoted. This will have the following direct benefits:
• The response to regulatory compliance issues will be immediate and highly effective.
• The overall costs of workplace-related incidents will be reduced.
• There would be less disruption in production and work if no hazardous incidents take place.
• The cost of insurance premiums will be reduced.

ISO/IEC TS 17021-10 for Auditing and Certification Bodies

Along with the International Standard for occupational health and safety UAE, i.e. ISO 45001 comes a technical specification which ensures that those who are auditing the organizations are up to scratch themselves. ISO 45001 has a large number of requirements for which specific skills relating to occupational health and safety are required to audit it effectively. These skills include:

• ISO 450001 terminology
• Knowledge of ISO 45001 principles
• Knowledge of ISO 45001 concepts
• Know-how of the tools and techniques related to ISO 45001

It is highly important and necessary to have an assessment document which will ensure that the auditors have the right skills to do their jobs in the best way possible.

A new complimentary technical specification – ISO/IEC TS 17021-10 – has been published after ISO 45001. It defines the required skills and knowledge of the certification bodies which are auditing organizations which have implemented the occupational health and safety standard of ISO 45001.

ISO/IEC TS 17021-10 intends to guarantee a harmonized approach to ensure that ISO 45001 certification is given to organizations after the proper procedure is followed.

This new technical specification is aimed at the auditors of the organisation looking for ISO 45001 accreditation. Alongside the auditors, it applies to anyone who is making certification decisions which are related to ISO 45001 certification UAE.

ISO/IEC TS 17021-10 will have the following benefits:

• It will serve certification, accreditation and regulatory bodies.
• It will confirm the fact that auditing and certification decisions related to ISO 45001 have been made by those people who are competent and skilled to do so.

ISO 45001 Lead Auditor training in UAE

ISO 45001 is an international global Occupational Health and Safety Management System standard. If you go through the ISO 45001 Lead Auditor training in UAE, it will give you the following benefits:

• Enables you to develop the necessary expertise to perform an Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHS Management System) audit
• You can apply the widely recognized audit principles, procedures, and techniques.
• You will gain the knowledge and skills to plan and carry out internal and external audits in compliance with ISO 19011 and ISO/IEC 17021-1 certification process.

Following are the learning objectives of this training course:

• Gain knowledge about the operations of an Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHS Management System) based on ISO 45001 lead auditor training in UAE
• Learning about the correlation between ISO 45001 lead auditor and other standards and regulatory frameworks
• Gain knowledge about the role of an ISO 45001 lead auditor in planning, leading and following-up on a management system audit

After completing the practical exercises during your training, you will be able to master the ISO 45001 lead auditor course with auditing techniques. You will be competent enough to manage an audit program along with an audit team. You will be able to communicate with customers in a better possible way and will be able to resolve conflicts.

Furthermore, after this training, you can sit for the exam and apply for a “PECB Certified ISO 45001 Lead Auditor in UAE” credential. If you pass and get an ISO 45001 Lead Auditor Certificate, it will show that you have the capability and skills required to audit organizations in the best way possible and in compliance with the ISO 45001 standards.

ISO 45001 Foundation

ISO 45001 is a global Occupational Health and Safety Management System standard. The ISO 45001 Foundation training gives you the necessary tools to implement an Occupational Health & Safety Management System according to the guidelines of ISO 45001. With the help of this training, you will get knowledge about the various models of the Occupational Health and Safety system. The other things which you will learn during training will be:

• OHS Management System policy
• OHS Management System MS procedures
• Performance measurements
• Management commitment
• Internal audit
• Management review
• Continual improvement

ISO 45001 Transition

With the help of ISO 45001 Transition course, you will come to know about the difference between OHSAS 18001 and ISO 45001. The necessary knowledge and expertise which is required to support any company while shifting from an OHSAS 18001 OHS Management System to ISO 45001 is gained during this course. Once you are familiar with all the necessary concepts, you can sit for the exam of “PECB Certified ISO 45001 Transition” credential. This will help you in demonstrating that you have all the necessary professional abilities which are needed in order to apply the ISPO 45001 changes to an OHS Management System.

ISO 45001 Lead Implementer

ISO 45001 is a global Occupational Health and Safety Management System standard. The ISO 45001 Lead Implementer training gives you the necessary knowledge and expertise in order to help an organization to establish, implement, manage and maintain an Occupational Health and Safety Management System compliant with ISO 45001.

During this training course, you will gain the following knowledge:

• A complete understanding of the best practices of an Occupational Health and Safety management system
• You will be capable of applying the requirements in order to continually improve the organization’s OHS performance
• You will be able to ensure the well-being of employees by giving them a safe and healthy workplace environment

After gaining the necessary training in regard to Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems, you can sit for the exam and apply for an “ISO 45001 Lead Implementer” credential. If you obtain a Lead Implementer Certificate, it will show that you have the required skills and knowledge to implement ISO 45001 in any kind of organisation

The following people should take the ISO 45001 Lead Implementer course in UAE:

• Managers or consultants who deal with Occupational Health and Safety Management systems in organizations
• Expert advisors looking to gain knowledge in regard to the implementation of an Occupational Health and Safety Management System
• Individuals who are responsible for maintaining Occupational Health and safety management systems within an organization
• Team members of Occupational Health and safety management systems

Following are the learning objectives of this training course:

• Gaining knowledge about the operations of an Occupational Health and Safety UAE Management System (OHS Management System) based on ISO 45001
• Learning about the correlation between ISO 45001 and other standards and regulatory frameworks
• Learn how to learn the ISO 45001 requirements with the goals and objectives of an organisation in the mind
• Getting the expertise needed to give advice to any organization in implementing OHS management systems compliant with ISO 45001

Conclusion

As William Shakespeare said, “Out of this nettle, Danger, we pluck this flower, Safety”, it is very important to have a workplace which is safe from all kinds of risks and dangers for its employees. By gaining ISO 45001 certification, you ensure that your organisation fulfils its social responsibility towards its employees and the world in general. The rules and guidelines for ISO 45001 certification have been stated above alongside the benefits of an ISO 45001 accreditation to organisations and individuals.

Ordosafe Consultants have approved training and certification from our partners PECB, Canada and delivering in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and all the other Emirates of UAE.

For more information contact us at info@ordosafe.com.