Enhancing Occupational Health and Safety with ISO 45001

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There’s no doubt that workplace safety is important, and you should be proactive in managing Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) risks. This is where the ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSMS) standard comes into play. ISO 45001 provides an effective framework to help organisations maintain legal compliance with South Africa’s Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) 85 of 1993 or the Mine Health and Safety Act (MHSA) 29 of 1996, along with their related regulations.

ISO 45001 which is overseen by a Technical committee of Occupational Health and Safety experts, offers best practices for improving organisational health and safety performance. By focusing on the proactive identification of workplace hazards and risks, ISO 45001 helps organisations address safety issues before they become problems, leading to improved overall performance and a culture of safety.

Do you need to improve your organisation’s health and safety management?

Download our Comprehensive Guide to Implementing ISO 45001:2018 and discover the essential steps for improving workplace safety.

Rethinking Risk Management for workplace safety through ISO 45001

Risk as an Opportunity in ISO 45001

Viewing risk as an opportunity can transform a business’s approach to growth, innovation, and safety. Rather than focusing on the dangers alone, forward-thinking companies recognise that calculated risks can unlock rewards in the shape of opportunities.

Take, for example, the aerospace industry. When NASA plans its trips, they are faced with so many unknowns and extreme conditions far away from Earth. Instead of avoiding these risks, NASA’s team assess potential hazards and plan innovative strategies to manage them. From precise landing procedures to advanced robotic controls for navigating Mars’s challenges. This proactive approach allows them not only to minimise dangers but also to push the boundaries of exploration and discovery.

The same can be applied in the business world. Identifying, and managing risks early enables companies to turn challenges into opportunities for improvement and competitive advantage. By viewing risk as a manageable stepping stone, businesses can fuel their growth and success even in unpredictable environments.

Managing Risks and Opportunities with ISO 45001

Here are 4 important tips for managing risks and opportunities:

  1. Induction training: All new employees need to undergo thorough induction training, so they are immediately aware of the health and safety risks within the workplace.
  2. Ongoing training: Always invest in employee training to keep skills and knowledge up to date.
  3. Peer reviews: Implement peer reviews to identify potential risks and assess mitigation strategies before they escalate.
  4. Document control: Use document control software to manage workflows and ensure that risk assessments are shared and reviewed across the organisation.

Shifting Risk Management Conversations

The shift in risk management thinking from a compliance-driven approach to a value-driven one has transformed how organisations approach occupational health and safety. Instead of viewing risk simply as something to be minimised or avoided, ISO encourages businesses to see risk management as a valuable way to improve performance. This means businesses should assess risks not only to avoid accidents and regulatory issues but also to identify opportunities to enhance worker well-being and business efficiency.

By adopting this proactive mindset, companies can turn risk management into a strategic tool that results in safer workplaces, boosts productivity, and strengthens their overall commitment to employee health and safety.

Understanding Leading and Lagging Indicators in Safety Management

Lagging Indicators: What They Measure

Lagging indicators are metrics that track past incidents, such as injury rates, lost workdays, and recorded safety violations. They provide insights into what has already occurred, helping businesses assess the effectiveness of their safety measures in reducing harm.

While these indicators are valuable for understanding historical performance, they have limitations when it comes to future prevention. Because they only capture incidents after they’ve happened, lagging indicators don’t offer proactive insight or guidance on preventing future risks.

Leading Indicators: A Proactive Approach

In contrast to lagging indicators, leading indicators are predictive tools that help organisations proactively manage and reduce safety risks before incidents occur. These indicators track activities such as safety training completion rates, hazard identification efforts, and frequency of safety audits. Lead indicators are also levers to change behaviour. If a person knows they are being measured against a specific attribute, they pay attention to it. Lead indicators should be carefully selected to create the correct behaviour.

By focusing on ongoing, preventive actions, leading indicators help companies identify and address potential hazards early. This forward-looking approach enables a culture of continual safety improvement, guiding teams to focus on preventive measures over reactive responses.

ISO 45001:2018: The Standard for Safety Management

Overview of ISO 45001:2018

ISO 45001:2018 is a globally recognised standard for Occupational Health and Safety management. The standard provides a comprehensive framework for organisations to improve their safety practices and mitigate risks.

By following this standard, businesses not only ensure the health and safety of their employees but also comply with legal requirements and ensure a culture of continual improvement.

The ISO 45001 standard covers several areas that organisations need to address, and this includes:

  • Employee participation and consultation
  • Risk assessment and evaluation
  • Legislative change management
  • Setting and achieving OH&S objectives
  • Resource management
  • Staff training and awareness
  • Internal and external communication
  • Document control
  • Operational control
  • Managing change and procurement
  • Emergency preparedness and response
  • Performance monitoring and evaluation
  • Internal auditing
  • Management review and continual improvement

Integration of Safety into Business Strategy with ISO 45001

Integrating health and safety into an organisation’s overall strategy is a key principle of ISO 45001:2018. Safety isn’t just a regulatory requirement but a core business priority. ISO 45001 does this by demanding that business risks associated with the OH&S management system are assessed and managed, not only the hazards and risk associated with the workplace.

By aligning safety goals with broader business objectives, companies can ensure a culture where safety becomes a shared responsibility, engaging all levels of the business. Leadership is essential in this integration, as leaders set the tone and demonstrate a commitment to safety that resonates throughout the workforce.

When leaders actively promote safety as a priority, it encourages employees to adopt safe practices, feel empowered to voice concerns, and work collaboratively to identify and mitigate risks.

This strategic alignment not only enhances conformity but also boosts employee morale, reduces absenteeism, and ultimately contributes to a more resilient and productive organisation.

What benefits does the ISO 45001 standard offer?

  • Reduced workplace incidents: ISO 45001 helps businesses identify and control hazards, significantly lowering accident rates and creating a safer work environment.
  • Cost savings from fewer disruptions: Fewer incidents mean fewer operational disruptions, leading to lower costs associated with downtime, legal fees, and workers’ compensation.
  • Enhanced reputation: Adopting ISO 45001 demonstrates a commitment to high safety standards, which can improve your company’s reputation among clients, investors, and prospective employees.
  • Higher employee engagement: A strong safety culture makes employees feel valued, increasing morale, job satisfaction, and productivity.
  • Improved compliance and efficiency: By providing a structured framework for safety management, ISO 45001 ensures compliance with regulations and promotes smoother, more efficient operations.

Do you need to improve your organisation’s health and safety management?

Download our Comprehensive Guide to Implementing ISO 45001:2018 and discover the essential steps for improving workplace safety.

Steps for Effective Implementation of ISO 45001:2018

Step 1: Get top management support

For the successful implementation of ISO 45001, it’s important to have the support of top management. Leadership must understand the standard’s requirements and how it can enhance the company’s safety culture, productivity, and conformity.

Developing a compelling business case that demonstrates the potential benefits of ISO 45001 will help secure executive buy-in.

Step 2: Understand legal requirements

Compliance with local health and safety legislation is a core component of ISO 45001:2018. The standard outlines specific requirements for identifying and complying with the health and safety regulations relevant to your industry and location. Organisations must ensure they are up to date with any changes in regulations and maintain full compliance.

Step 3: Define the scope and processes

When you are defining the scope, you will determine things like, will the system apply to your entire organisation or just specific locations. This scope should translate into the organisation’s OH&S policy and guide the overall implementation process.

You will also need to define processes and procedures to effectively control OH&S hazards. These processes should address risk identification, assessment, and control measures to ensure risks are managed consistently and efficiently.

Step 3: Define the scope and processes

When you are defining the scope, you will determine things like, will the system apply to your entire organisation or just specific locations. This scope should translate into the organisation’s OH&S policy and guide the overall implementation process.

You will also need to define processes and procedures to effectively control OH&S hazards. These processes should address risk identification, assessment, and control measures to ensure risks are managed consistently and efficiently.

Step 4: Employee training and involvement

All staff members need to be familiar with the system’s requirements and understand how their role contributes to the overall safety program. Regular training ensures that employees are equipped to identify hazards and follow safety protocols.

Step 5: Monitoring and measurement

Effective monitoring and measurement provide crucial, ongoing insights into workplace health and safety performance, allowing organisations to identify trends, assess progress, and make informed improvements.

This step in ISO 45001 implementation ensures that data on safety practices and incidents is consistently tracked, enabling quick response to any issues and supporting continuous improvement.

By closely observing performance metrics, organisations can proactively address risks, refine safety strategies, and maintain compliance with health and safety standards.

Step 6: Conduct internal audits and reviews

Audits help identify non-conformities, track corrective actions, and verify that processes are being followed correctly. This step is crucial for continual improvement.

A management review should also take place where top management evaluates the performance of the OH&S Management System. This review assesses whether the system is meeting objectives, is compliant with regulations, and is effective in reducing health and safety risks.

Step 7: Corrective and Preventive Actions for Continual Improvement

To ensure continual improvement, actions must be both reactive and proactive. While addressing deficiencies or areas of improvement identified during audits or management reviews, it is equally important to take preventive actions.

This aligns with the P-D-C-A (Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycle, which emphasises using preventive measures to mitigate potential accidents and incidents before they occur. Corrective actions should address the root cause of the problem, ensuring that similar issues do not arise in the future.

All actions taken (both corrective and preventive) should be documented, and evidence of their efficacy through testing and verification must be retained.

Building a strong culture for health & safety through ISO 45001

What is a Safety Culture?

A safety culture is an environment where health and safety practices are embedded in every level of the business. This includes employees actively participating and taking responsibility for both risks and preventive actions.

Rather than viewing safety as a set of rules, a strong safety culture makes it a shared value, driving behaviours that prioritise well-being across the business.

Encouraging employee participation

When workers are involved in safety processes—such as identifying hazards, suggesting improvements, and participating in safety meetings—they feel empowered to take ownership of both risks and solutions.

This involvement not only increases awareness but also leads to better conformance, as employees see safety as part of their job and are more likely to adhere to practices they have helped shape.

How do I engage staff and improve safety performance?

Engagement starts with open communication, where leaders actively listen to employees’ concerns and ideas about safety.

Providing regular training, celebrating safety achievements, and offering opportunities for employees to contribute to safety initiatives can all improve engagement.

With each step we have listed, safety becomes more than a checklist—it becomes a core element of the organisation’s identity, creating a proactive, resilient safety culture.

How do I use ISO 45001 to measure safety culture?

Challenges in measuring safety culture

Measuring safety culture can be challenging due to its intangible nature as workplace culture. It is largely shaped by attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours that aren’t always easy to quantify.

However, ISO 45001:2018 provides a structured approach to assessing and enhancing safety culture. Practical steps include employee surveys, feedback sessions, and regular safety audits to gauge engagement, perceptions, and participation levels.

While these tools may not directly measure culture, they offer insights into how employees view safety and how embedded safety practices are across the organisation.

Lead versus Lag Indicators and the safety culture link

Tracking safety culture effectively requires both lead and lag indicators.

Lag indicators, like incident rates, provide data on past performance, while lead indicators, such as training completion rates or safety observations, predict future safety trends.

Lead indicators are particularly valuable in gauging proactive safety efforts, helping organisations understand if their culture promotes preventive actions rather than reactive responses. Remember lead indicators should be carefully selected to create the correct behaviour.

6 signs your safety culture is on track

  1. Open communication – Employees feel safe reporting issues without fear of blame.
  2. Employee participation – Staff actively engage in safety initiatives and identify hazards or risks.
  3. Leadership involvement – Leaders demonstrate commitment by supporting and participating in safety efforts.
  4. Proactive behaviour – Preventive measures are prioritised, with an emphasis on addressing risks before they cause harm.
  5. Continual improvement – Safety practices are regularly reviewed and updated based on feedback and audits.
  6. Shared responsibility – All employees, from top to bottom, take ownership of safety.

Do you need to improve your organisation’s health and safety management?

Download our Comprehensive Guide to Implementing ISO 45001:2018 and discover the essential steps for improving workplace safety.

ISO 45001:2018 is more than just a conformity tool, it is a management system that helps businesses proactively identify and address health and safety risks. By implementing ISO 45001, companies can ensure the health and safety of their employees, comply with regulations, and ensure a safety culture that leads to continual improvement.

To achieve success with ISO 45001, organisations must follow a structured implementation process, engage leadership and employees, and focus on ongoing training, risk assessments, and audits.  In doing this your business will not only protect its most valuable asset, which is its people, but also position itself for success in a competitive, safety-conscious market.

Get Started with iso 45001 today

With over 30 years of experience, Risk ZA specialises in training, consulting, and implementing ISO management solutions for organisations of all sizes across the EMEA region. We’re here to assist with risk assessments and conformance needs and offer a variety of ISO 45001:2018 training options designed to suit your unique requirements.

Call us at +27 (0) 31 569 5900 or +44 (0) 203 728 6179 or send an email to enquiries@riskza.com to learn more about how we can help your business achieve its ISO 45001 goals.

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