ISO 45001 consultancy procedure

Implementing an Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSMS) based on the recommendations of ISO 45001:2018 can be a daunting task. Many business owners choose to simplify this process by hiring an ISO 45001 consultant. The aim of this article is to elaborate on how hiring an ISO 45001 consultant can simplify your certification process by talking about the ISO 45001 consultancy procedure. Read the following article to understand the benefits of using an ISO 45001 consultant.

What is ISO 45001?

ISO 45001 is the gold standard that organisations across the globe prefer when they are attempting to improve their occupational health and safety procedures. The standard is developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) after amalgamating expert advice from safety professionals and different industry leaders. Essentially, the standard contains guidelines that organisations can follow to build an effective management system.

Once the management system aligns with the recommendations of the standard, it can undergo an external audit by an accredited certification body to achieve certification. The benefits of ISO 45001 certification include increased stakeholder confidence, a safer workplace, lesser insurance premium, and better brand credibility.

Who is an ISO 45001 consultant?

An ISO 45001 consultant is an individual who has years of practice as a safety professional or expert, and has undergone additional training in the requirements of ISO 45001. As a result, this individual has the expertise to guide organisations in their OHSMS implementation. Evidently, the biggest benefit of hiring an ISO consultant is that the entire implementation process becomes easier.

The actual problem that majority of the business owners face as they are attempting to implement ISO 45001 into their organisations, is that they are unable to understand the technical jargon in the clauses of the standard, which consequently makes them misunderstand how they must modify their safety procedures.

As ISO 45001 consultants have both training and industry specific experience, they are able to materialise the recommendations of the standard, helping you achieve compliance in the first attempt.

This is extremely beneficial for organisations, as it saves them time, money and effort. Additionally, as the workplaces become safer, businesses experience a massive growth. 

You can benefit from the guidance of professional and experienced consultants for the implementation of ISO 45001 by using ISO consulting services at ISOCONCIL.

Explaining ISO 45001 consultancy procedure

If we summarise the entire consultancy procedure, it can be said that the ISO 45001 consultant helps you align your documents and your procedures to the recommendations of ISO 45001. In reality, the actual process is a little more elaborate.

1. Understand the prevalent OHS risks

Long before the actual implementation begins, the ISO 45001 consultant sits with the business owners to understand the current situation of the organisation. See, different industries have very different Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) risks. The ISO consultant will help you understand the prevalent OHS risks in your industry and the common practices followed by other companies.

2. Choosing realistic and measurable goals

The consultant would also try to understand what are your expectations regarding the OHSMS. The problem is that many organisations have unrealistic expectations from management systems, as they have read superfluous articles on the web!

Yes, an OHSMS can help you in building your brand credibility and increasing your stakeholder confidence, however, it has limited applicability when talking about other disciplines such as quality management or environmental management. During the opening meeting, the consultant will ensure that your goals are realistic, measurable, specific and attainable, so that you can have a firm grip over the entire implementation process.

If the goals you have in mind are with the actual goals of ISO 45001, other options are suggested for implementation. For example, if your goals are related to quality management, ISO 9001 certification will be a better option. In this case, an ISO 9001 consultant is suggested to you.

3. Conducting a gap analysis

After a mutually agreeable foundation is set, the ISO 45001 consultant will observe your safety practices. This includes conducting a gap analysis to identify where your current system is lacking and in what areas your personnel requires further training.

Based on the findings of the analysis, you will be provided a customised report that will have an action plan filled with corrective actions, their estimated time and approximate amount of resources needed. 

4. Directing and implementing occupational health and safety management

Depending upon what you have agreed upon, the ISO 45001 consultant will work as a leader, helping to coordinate activities within your team or would act as a “diligent worker,” helping to align your documents and modify your processes. Your management system would be built in a few weeks to a few months, depending upon the state of your existing safety protocols.

5. Reviewing and ensuring the ISO 45001 checklist

After observing your OHSMS for a few months, the ISO 45001 consultant will conduct an internal audit to check its efficiency. This internal audit would be like a mock drill, preparing your personnel for the actual external audit. Any deficiencies that were identified during this time would be ironed out, so that the external audit goes smoothly.

During this time, the consultant will ensure that he or she is collecting evidence of the implementation steps and the steps of the internal audit. This is vital for your certification, as the external auditor will ask for records of how you created, maintained and modified your OHSMS.

The ISO 45001 consultant checks everything using the ISO 45001 audit checklist so that nothing is missed. When the ISO 45001 consultant is satisfied with the performance of your OHSMS, they will recommend you to contact an accredited certification body so that you can undergo an external audit and acquire your certification.

Conclusion 

The ISO 45001 consultancy procedure helps to simplify and smoothen the certification process. The consultant provides customised guidance to improve the efficiency of the OHSMS, ironing out deficiencies as they are identified.