HEALTH AND SAFETY AT WORK : STANDARD ISO 45001:2018

According to the Law on Safety and Health at Work of the Republic of Serbia (Official Gazette RS, No. 101/05, 91/15 and 113/2017): “Safety and health at work is the provision of such working conditions which, as far as possible, reduce injuries at work, occupational and work-related illnesses and which predominantly create a precondition for the full physical, mental and social well-being of employees ”.

According to the International Labor Organization, over 2 million people worldwide die each year as a result of accidents at work and over 270 million injuries occur at work. Therefore, the need to approach the problem of safety and health at work at the international level, by controlling the risks that can lead to injuries or occupational diseases, has been recognized:

• Improving the management system for occupational health and safety

• Emphasizing the importance of safety and health at work for the organization

• By considering topics related to occupational safety and health within the organization

Experience has shown that a high level of protection at work brings benefits to workers, employers and the state, because preventive action on safety and health risks largely prevents adverse events.

According to the OHSAS 18001: 2007 standard (item 3.13), the Occupation Health Safety Management System (OHSMS) is a part of the organization’s management system used for the development and implementation of occupational health and safety policy and risk management. for safety and health at work. ”

Historical development of standards related to safety and health at work

The danger to the safety and health of workers in the workplace has long been noticed, where the type of work itself as well as the entire environment can become a source of risk to the health and life of workers. At the same time, ways were looked for to prevent injuries and danger to the lives of workers. The situation became more and more serious with the overall development of society, the complication of jobs and especially the period of the industrial revolution, where new problems for the safety of workers were caused by accelerated technological development. Workers, including children, were exposed to risks for several hours a day, without adequate protection, and if injuries occurred, it was not the employer’s concern, but the worker would be removed from work without any rights.

In the middle of the 19th century, industrialized countries began with the legal protection of workers related to safety and health at work (1833. Factory Act – the appearance of the first inspectors who control factories related to the safety of workers at work).

 The first attempts at international agreements related to the protection of workers in the workplace were interrupted by World War I. In 1919, the International Labor Organization (ILO – International Labor Organization) was founded with the aim of protecting workers through the formation of national and international legislation in the field of safety and health at work and work in implementation of it.

The most significant shift to the current level of protection of workers is the Act on Health and Safety at Work from 1974, which brings sanctions for non-compliance with legal regulations, compared to previous recommendations. The act also appoints the Commission for Safety and Health at Work, which will propose new regulations and work on the development of new methods and systems for the protection of workers.

In 1996, the British Institute for Standardization – BSI (British Institute for Standardization) introduced the first OHSAS standard planned for publication in 1999.

1999: OHSAS 18001: 1999 – specifications explaining the prerequisites for any occupational safety and health management system that assist organizations in controlling risk and improving performance.

2007: revision – OHSAS 18001: 2007 – becomes standard and has been updated to better align with ISO 14001.

ISO 45001: 2018 is a new standard developed by the ISO standardization organization, which specifies the requirements for the occupational health and safety management system and provides guidelines for their use. These organizations are enabled to provide a healthy and safe working environment by preventing injuries at work and occupational diseases.

ISO 45001: 2018 can be applied to any organization that wants to establish, implement and maintain an OH&S management system in order to improve the control of risks related to safety and health at work. It can be applied in any type of organization, regardless of the size or activity in which it is engaged.

This standard helps organizations achieve the planned outputs of their OH&S management system. In accordance with the OH&S policy, the planned outputs of this management system include:

• continuous improvements in OH&S performance

• fulfillment of legal and other requirements

• achieving OH&S goals

The standard sets out requirements for the OH&S management system with guidelines for their application, to help organizations provide a healthy and safe work environment, in order to prevent injuries at work and occupational diseases. In accordance with the OH&S policy of the organization, the standard helps to achieve OH&S goals, continuous improvement and compliance with legal requirements related to this area.

If you want to improve the system of safety and health at work in your company, the right choice is the implementation of ISO 45001: 2018 standards. You can contact our agency for help with the implementation !!!