OHSAS 18001

Book excerpt: Take your company beyond basic regulatory compliance and risk reduction. Using the detailed guidance in OHSAS 18001, you can create an occupational health and safety management system that controls health and safety risks, minimizes hazards, improves your organization's near- and long-term performance, and lowers healthcare costs. OHSAS 18001 is an internationally recognized certification specification that provides a model for the development of a complete occupational health and safety management system. Patterned after the popular ISO 14001 environmental management system standard, OHSAS 18001 requires the systematic and formal identification of workplace hazards, the assessment of risks associated with those hazards, and identification and implementation of controls to minimize those risks. But the standard only tells you what should be done, not how to do it. The specification leaves the details of developing and implementing internal systems, processes, and procedures that meet the federal requirements up to the participating organizations. That's where this book can help. OHSAS 18001 examines each clause of OHSAS 18001, provides thorough explanations, and details the steps needed to build and implement an effective occupational health and safety management system based on the specification. You'll learn how to incorporate all aspects of an effective management system, including core processes like identifying workplace hazards and assessing the risks; key supporting processes used to maintain an awareness of legal requirements, ensure compentency of employees, provide an adequate infrastructure, and monitor and evaluate performance; and best procedures for implementing and managing system-supporting processes such as document control, record control, and internal auditing. Each handbook contains a companion CD-ROM featuring the author's OH&S Planning Workbook, an Excel workbook full of templates, checklists, and forms.