Introduction
Significance of Occupational Health and Safety (OHSAS) They represent a different approach as follows :-
- These focus on management rather than on goals.
- These promote audits of management, not of attainment.
- These establish principles and uniform approaches for evaluation of Activities, Product & Services and communication of Safety & Health attributes & managing the same.
- Implementation of OHSAS used as a declaration of commitment to Ensuring safety and health of employees, visitors & property.
- Implementation of OHSAS used as a way to Manage and Maintain regulatory compliance.
- Societal pressure to adopt OHSAS 18001 standards will increase.
- Will effect how industry manages, measures, improves and communicates information on Safety and health hazards of its products and operations.
- Will become a condition of doing business in many markets and regions.
- Will effect how plants are managed and how decisions are made relating to products and processes.
- Some governments are expected to require ohsas 18001 certification from suppliers of specific goods and services.
- There will be both benefits and costs for organizations that adopt these standards.
Benefits of OH&S Implementation
- World wide focus achieved.
- Promotes voluntary consensus approach which is inherently flexible and responsive to market forces.
- Commercial benefit due to harmonization of national rules, labels and methods.
- Minimizing trade barriers, by removing complications and ensuring consistency.
- Avoidance of multiple inspections, certifications and labels
- Will enhance Safety and Health performance.
- Improves risk information and understanding.
- Will act as a means to maintain regulatory compliance.
- Provides framework to move beyond compliance.
- Competitive advantage.
- Demonstrates commitment to OH&S Management.
- Helps in implementing Safety and Health excellence.
OH&S Policy
- Is appropriate to the nature and scale of the organization’s OH&S risks.
- includes a commitment to prevention of injury and ill health and continual improvement in OH&S management and OH&S performance.
- includes a commitment to at least comply with applicable legal requirements and with other requirements to which the organization subscribes that relate to its OH&S hazards.
- provides the framework for setting and reviewing OH&S objectives.
- is documented, implemented and maintained.
- is communicated to all persons working under the control of the organization with the intent that they are made aware of their individual OH&S obligations.
- is available to interested parties.
- is reviewed periodically to ensure that remains relevant and appropriate to the organization.
