When implementing an Occupational Health & Safety Management System (OHSMS) by the criteria of ISO 45001, you're probably thinking about getting your OHSMS certified. When the OHSMS is put into place, you might question what has to be done to properly get ready for the certification auditor. In reality, it is essential to understand what certification is in the first location.
What Differentiates Implementation from Certification?
A brief explanation of the distinction between implementation and certification would be beneficial. To comply with the requirements of ISO 45001 certification and to fulfil the demands of your business, you must implement all the rules, policies, processes, and procedures that are necessary. Once everyone in your organization is aware of their responsibilities, these can then be established.
Implementation and certification are distinct procedures. Many individuals are a little surprised to see that ISO 45001 does not call for having a third-party certification authority perform an audit and certify that the organization has successfully implemented the standard's requirements. There are several benefits to having an external auditor review your system, one of which is the advantage of having someone from outside your organization suggest methods to enhance it. What the certification auditors will look for in your OH&SMS before they begin their audit is listed below.
The Criteria for Obtaining ISO 45001 Certification for Businesses
There are a few tasks that must be finished before the auditors arrive to conduct their final certification audit if you have decided to go through the certification procedure. The auditors will have already completed their stage 1 documentation audit, during which they have examined your documentation to make sure it complies with the standard. Following that, you must make sure that the following is achieved:
All Procedures in Place - Because not all procedures are documented, you must make sure that the OHSMS has all the processes you require. It is assumed that you have developed each process, put each process into action (ensured that the rules are understood and followed), and are maintaining each process (making sure that people are notified of changes to the rules when they occur and that newcomers are made aware of the old rules). The existence of neglected processes is unacceptable.
OHSMS Implemented - You need to have sufficient records to show how your processes function to be audited. Because of this, certification auditors will require you to have utilised your OHSMS for a while to gather the records required to prove this.
Each Stage has been Audited: The internal audit is one of the crucial procedures for assessing the effectiveness of your OHSMS. Before they arrive to conduct their audits, the certification auditors will anticipate that you have finished this internal audit evaluation for each of your procedures.
Completed Management Review: The management review is one more crucial OHSMS evaluation. You must have conducted at least one management assessment of the OHSMS to evaluate resource allocation and confirm effectiveness, and efficiency.
Corrections have been Implemented: you have likely discovered nonconformities in the processes during this time through internal audits, management reviews, and process monitoring. It is assumed that when these nonconformities come to light, you will have taken corrective action to eliminate the nonconformity and stop it from happening again.
Improvements Shown: What were you doing to improve your OHSMS? Corrective actions are one means of enhancement, but you should also be able to show advancement towards your OH&S goals and other approaches to addressing areas wherein your OH&S procedures can be improved.
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