Newletter
Pierse Contracting
Ellen Construction
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ISO Certification and Management Systems OHSAS 18001:2007 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems Currently in the current economy further pressures are being placed on companies from large customers, suppliers, government and corporate bodies to effectively demonstrate a capable Safety Management System. In today’s environment this is even more evident with increased competitiveness in the market as companies are turning to Management Systems such as OHSAS 18001 as a means for ensuring competence as required by the SHWW Act 2005. Benefits of OHSAS 18001 OHSAS 18001 was built along the same lines as ISO management systems that emphasize effectiveness, efficiency and continual improvement from a management system. It focuses on the fundamental requirements based on the highly successful “plan-do-check-act” method. Benefits include: 1. Places the company in an elite category of business and boosts acceptance and reputation nationally and internationally. Registration to OHSAS 18001 puts your organization on the identical level of excellence shared by organizations of all kinds worldwide. 2. It satisfies the demands of current or prospective customers for registration. Companies certified to OHSAS 18001 have a superior pool of clients that will accept them as competent and perspective businesses. 3. Enables increased acceptance by regulators, the general public, and other interested parties. Companies that implement and maintain OHSAS 18001 are generally accepted as being proactive about Health and Safety and continually improving. 4. Improves business performance. A well designed, well implemented OHSAS health/safety management system can help lessen workplace illness and injury. 5. Creates consistency throughout the organization built around "best practices". 6. Certification also provides a platform for attracting lower insurance premiums and proving due diligence to the marketplace 7. Allows better identification of hazards and risk management and an overall better awareness of Health and Safety. 8. Ensures compliance with all current legislation 9. Improve the efficiency of internal operations, reduce accidents, danger and downtime and improves safety of all persons affected by the companies activities. 10. Improves management oversight. An effective OHSAS health/safety management system incorporates monitoring and measurement of key performance indicators in health/safety. This gives management objective data upon which to base decisions. Internal auditing is an "early warning system" to help you spot health/safety threats – giving you the chance to address and resolve them before they are detected by others, rather than after. 11. Facilitates continual improvement. For many reasons -- employee morale, insurance costs, liability, etc. -- not to mention simple human concern for the welfare of others -- nothing in a business is more important than improving health/safety performance. 12. Transforms your operation from detection mode to prevention mode. Prevention is less work and less expense than detection. With an OHSAS Health/Safety Management System, you mitigate or eliminate hazards and risks to protect the health and safety of employees and others. The benefits to Implementing OHSAS 18001 are endless and when implemented correctly it provides the company with an effective tool that will show return on investment. With continued increases in insurance premiums, increased injury claims and spiralling health care costs the question companies need to ask themselves is can they afford not to implement OHSAS 18001. Safety Solutions OHSAS 18001 services: Implementing OHSAS 18001 Safety Solutions will take the client through all the necessary steps until registration has been achieved in reaching the standard. This is a step by step approach that involves the client in all aspects of their Safety Management System. Safety Solutions will begin the process with a Gap Audit of the company and discuss the current findings and how their current system (if any) can be expanded to the requirements of OHSAS 18001. A schedule will be drafted allowing the client apply for their 3rd party certification audit. Once time frames have been confirmed Safety Solutions will draft the Safety Manual and all required documentation with the support of the client. It is imperative that the client is involved in every stage of the process so the system is applicable to the activities of the company and can be utilised to maximum benefit by the company and follow the continuous development philosophy once registration has been achieved. A number of our consultants are IRCA approved auditors and will adequately prepare the client for the assessment necessary for 3rd party registration. Safety Solutions consultants performing the implementation process if required will support the client on the day of 3rd party audits. If your company wishes to have Safety Solutions implement OHSAS 18001, our implementation process is a follows: Stage 1: Carry out a Gap Analysis The Gap analysis will allow us to become familiar with the operations of your company and understand and agree as schedule of work that will identify the particular needs of the company and how these will be captured in the documentation required for the standard. Stage 2: Design of Management system and documentation upgrade Allows Safety Solutions together with your representatives / employees design and develop the manual, policies/procedures, work instructions, forms and required documentation into a management system that best suits the needs of the company and their legal obligations. Stage 3: Identification of Training and implementing the system Safety Solutions consultants will work closely with your management and staff to ensure that you as a company can effectively manage the system internally. We will also help you identify the training needs and where applicable provide you with training you may require to comply with the conditions of OHSAS 18001 and the current legal requirements. Stage 4: Internal Audits One of the requirements of OHSAS 18001 is its internal audits that must be completed at scheduled intervals throughout the lifecycle of the management system. This will allow the company to measure the effectiveness of the management system and introduce agreed changes and improvements if required. Safety Solutions approved IRCA auditors will prepare for the audits and treat them in the same format as the 3rd party registration audit to allow the client become accustomed and prepared. Stage 5: Management Review Safety Solutions will assist the client with a management review meeting prior to the 3rd party registration audit. The management review will allow the company distinguish the effectiveness of the management system. Integrating OHSAS 18001, ISO 9001 & ISO 14001 OHSAS 18001 was designed to be made compatible with ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems and ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems. The implementation of an accredited management system such as ISO 9001, 14001 or OHSAS 18001 can demonstrate a competence and professionalism within an organisation because the management systems have been audited by an independent third party accredited professional body. As a company Safety Solutions has realised the importance of delivering to the needs of our clients so we have complied a team of qualified and specialist consultants that are capable of integrating management systems across the three standards to suit our client’s needs. Currently we are in a position to implement OHSAS 18001, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 either independently as stand alone systems or integrated as a complete three tier management system designed and developed to the needs of our clients. ISO 9001: 2008 Quality Management Systems ISO 14001:2004 Environmental Management Systems
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