BENEFITS OF AN OHSMS
An Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSMS) standards establish a framework for how a business manages its key health and safety risks through effective processes. They can help whether your business offers products or services and regardless of your size or industry. They can also help new businesses start off on the right foot by ensuring processes meet your legal requirements and recognised standards, clarifying business objectives and avoiding expensive mistakes, often enforced by local authorities, the health and safety executive or even the police. A health and safety management system will ensure you protect your staff, contractors (where applicable) and members of the public.
To comply with the standard you’ll first need to implement an OHSMS, or sometimes known as a Safety Management System (SMS) or Health and Safety Management System (HSMS).
Implementing an OHSMS can help your business to:
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Achieve greater consistency in the activities to manage your health and safety risks
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Reduce harm
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Meet legal obligations and enhance trust
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Improve efficiency and cut your costs of operation
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Improve customer satisfaction
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Market your business more effectively as a conscientious business
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Exploit new market sectors and territories with additional certification
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Manage growth more effectively by making it easier to integrate new employees and locations
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Give confidence to your workforce that you care
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Tender / Quote for business that requires certification to ISO 45001
For example, the health and safety system of a service business might include looking at more efficient and effective ways to reduce your health and safety risks by implementing effective processes to manage hazards through the hierarchy of controls (elimination, substitution, engineering controls, admin controls and finally PPE) and protect your people from disadvantages by ensuring a healthy place of work with all effective and controlled welfare arrangements.
The ISO 45000 series of standards is the main set of International Standards applying to the management of health and safety systems. It includes ISO 45001, the key internationally agreed standard for a SMS. Businesses can be certified against this standard when they meet its requirements.
Achieving ISO 45001 certification could lead to new business. Not only can it help distinguish you from competitors, but many large businesses and public sector organisations require suppliers to be ISO 45001 certified. It’s a globally recognised achievement, so may lead to a higher profile and increased business overseas.
The process of achieving certification can be much more straight forward than before, especially if you adopt one of the new electronic software tools that can assist in manging key elements of a SMS and sharing responsibility across a business so everyone gets involved. The health and safety of our staff, contractors and members of the public are of upmost importance, so ensure that you can demonstrate an effective management of these. Don’t be left behind when your competitor gets over the line before you, ensure you are one step ahead of the pack and drive down costs in your business through an effective SMS.