What is ISO 45001 certification?
The ISO 45001 of 2018 “Occupational health and safety management systems – Requirements and guidance for use”, is an international standard that specifies the requirements for a suitable occupational health and safety management system and provides indications for its use in order to allow companies (which the standard calls “Organizations”) safe and healthy workplaces preventing accidents at work and health problems.
The ISO 45001 standard has been developed according to the guidelines of the High Level Structure (HLS), so as to facilitate the adoption of Integrated Management Systems, such as that for the environment (14001) and that of quality (9001).
Who is ISO 45001 certified for?
The 45001 management system is applicable to any organization (regardless of the type and number of employees) that wishes to establish, implement or maintain a management system to improve occupational health and safety, eliminate or, if possible, reduce risks.
When will OHSAS 18001 be replaced?
From 12 March 2018 the new ISO 45001 standard on Management Systems for Health and Safety at Work is in force. Within three years of its publication, which took place in March 2018, the BS OHSAS 18001: 2007 standard had to be completely exceeded (see Accredia Circular no. 08/2018).
However, due to the current challenges posed by the global emergency linked to the Covid-19 epidemic, the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) has recently announced (see FAQ on the IAF website) that it has extended the deadline for migration to ISO 45001 certification. Therefore, according to the OHSAS 18001 standard, the validity of the currently active Certifications can be extended by another six months and the new deadline of the migration period to the new ISO 45001 standard becomes September 30, 2021.
By that date, unless further extensions, OHSAS 18001 certifications must migrate to ISO 45001 as they are no longer valid.
For companies already certified BS OHSAS 18001:2007 Safetyone Ingegneria is able to give support and advice in the migration to the new ISO 45001 standard.
What are the benefits of ISO 45001 certification?
An ISO 45001 certified company can guarantee a Health and Safety Management System in the workplace that complies with international standards.
The greatest benefits are as follows:
- Reductions of criminal and administrative responsibilities of the Employer (Article 30 of Legislative Decree 81/08)
- Improvement of the safety culture in the company and control of legislative compliance
- Reduction of turnover and absenteeism
- Increased productivity
- Reduction of accidents at work and related direct and indirect costs
- Greater control of risk factors through the definition of objectives, goals and responsibilities
- Improvement of the company’s image towards customers
- Reduction of insurance costs
- Recognition of a higher score of the technical offer in the context of public tenders and tenders
- Better risk management in the workplace. INAIL has detected a reduction in the index of frequency and severity of accidents in certified companies.
Safety certification ISO 45001 and Model OT23
In addition to the advantages described in the previous paragraph, it is also essential to remember the reduction of the INAIL premium.
Every year, on the INAIL website, the form to access the OT23 incentive is published.
Companies that invest in improving safety (and therefore also companies that obtain ISO 45001 Certification), can request a discount on the INAIL insurance premium, a discount that often covers the cost of the certification itself and therefore is, in fact, an investment.
In this regard, it is important to underline that ISO 45001 certified companies automatically obtain the 100 points necessary for the recognition of the premium reduction, without having to fill in the entire OT23 form. For ISO45001 certified companies, it is sufficient to attach the Certificate.
How do I get ISO 45001 certified?
The main steps in the ISO 45001 certification process include:
- Preliminary audit (optional): the level of compliance of the Organization with respect to the requirements is assessed, concludes with any observations to achieve compliance
- Certification audit: verification of the compliance of the management system with the requirements, concludes with the possible issuance of the certificate
- Surveillance audit (or maintenance): verification planned, usually annually, to monitor the maintenance of the management system
- Renewal audit: verification carried out when the certificate expires, to confirm the certificate for a further three years.
The duration of ISO 45001 certification is 3 years, renewable at the end of the three-year period.
How much does it cost to obtain ISO 45001 Certification?
For ISO 45001 certifications, the rates applied by the bodies accredited by ACCREDIA are generally aligned.
The cost depends on the level of risk, the production sector, the number of employees/collaborators and the number of locations. Certification bodies use the IAF (International Accreditation Forum) tables to determine the number of man-days of audit for certification and for its three-year maintenance.
Generally, the cost of the certification or surveillance audit for a small company starts from 1,200.
For the consulting part, on the other hand, the cost is very variable and depends, in addition to the factors listed above, on the role and activity carried out by the consultant to lead the company to the implementation of an effective, simple or really applicable management system.
The consultant, in addition to supporting, if not preparing, all the documentation referred to in the ISO 45001 System must in fact be able to:
- fully verify the regulatory compliance on safety in the workplace, also in order to have effective exemption from the responsibilities indicated in the aforementioned art. 30 of Legislative Decree 81/08
- set up a system in line with business processes and needs, without burdening the company with unnecessary documentary and bureaucratic tasks
- train, during consultancy, the interlocutors responsible for managing the processes subject to analysis or integration
- prepare documents, instructions and procedures that are simple, intuitive and easy to apply.
It follows that it is impossible to quantify a priori the cost of consultancy, as it realistically depends on the total number of hours necessary to achieve the objectives set.
The cost can therefore be defined only after viewing the company, including the level of application of safety regulations, verified the existence of operating procedures and instructions, as well as including the level of support that can be provided by company resources.
It follows that the choice of the consultant is a priority to obtain a certification that in addition to the “stamp” provides added value to the company.
A fundamental requirement for a good ISO 45001 consultant is therefore an excellent knowledge of general and specific safety regulations, specific training in management systems as well as developed problem solving skills.
Conclusions
For customers who wish to become certified, Safetyone Ingegneria is able to provide professional advice and offer highly qualified resources for:
- Define the management model
- Prepare the procedures and the System
- Support the company in obtaining the Certification
- Periodically verify the correct maintenance of the System.
Among the objectives of our assistance there is the definition of the most effective and feasible System Model for the Organization, support until obtaining the Certification, as well as carrying out periodic checks for the correct maintenance of the System itself.