ISO 45001:2015 - Leadership and workers participation (Clause 5)
Requirements in this section (sub-clauses 5.1 to 5.3) are meant for the top management. ISO 45001:2018 standard requires proactive role of the top management and also consultation and participation of workers.
Top management = Individual or group of people, at the highest level in the organization, who directs and controls the organization.
Top management roles and responsibility include:
- Delegation of authority,
- Provision of resources,
- Ultimate responsibility for the OH&S management system,
(5.1) Leadership and commitment
Requirements for the top management
Demonstrate - Leadership and commitment for with respect to OH&S management system
Take overall responsibility and accountability - (i) For the prevention of work-related injury and ill health, and (ii) Provision of safe and healthy workplaces and activities
Ensure - (i) Establishment of OH&S policy and related objectives, (ii) Established OH&S policy and related objectives are compatible with the strategic direction of the organization, (iii) Integration of OH&S management system requirements into the organization's business processes (those activities that are core to the purposes of the organization's existence), (iv) Availability of resources needed to establish, implement, maintain and improve the OH&S management system, (v) OH&S management system achieves its intended results, (vi) Continual improvement, (vii) Establishment and implementation of processes for consultation and participation of workers
Communicate - (i) Importance of effective OH&S management system, (ii) Importance of conforming to the OH&S management system requirements
Direct and support - (i) Persons to contribute to the effectiveness of the OH&S management system, (ii) Other relevant management roles to demonstrate their leadership in their area of responsibility.
Promote - Continual improvement
Develop, lead and promote - Supporting culture in the organization that supports OH&S management
Protect - Workers from reprisals when reporting incidents, hazards, risks and opportunities.
Support - Establishment and functioning of health and safety committees.
Comments
Role of the top management is important and relevant in implementing ISO 45001:2018 Occupational health and safety management system. Through leadership and actions, the top management is able to create an environment in the organization where people are fully involved in their activities as per their defined responsibility and authority in the organization. They should also be able to create a proactive internal environment in the organization in which an occupational health and safety management system can operate effectively and the people are fully involved in achieving the organization's OH&S objectives.
Elizabeth Gasiorowski-Denis says, "Top management must take an active role, promote a positive culture and communicate what needs to be done and, more to the point, why it's important." (ISOfocus #127)
(5.2) OH&S policy
Requirements for the top management
Establish, implement and maintain - An OH&S policy
Ensure OH&S policy to include commitment - (i) to provide safe and healthy working conditions for the prevention of work-related injury and ill health, (ii) to fulfill legal requirements and other requirements, (iii) to eliminate hazards and reduce OH&S risks, (iv) to continual improvement of the OH&S management system, (v) to consultation and participation of workers and workers representatives (if exist).
Ensure OH&S policy to provide - Framework for setting the OH&S objectives
Other requirements
Make available - (i) OH&S policy as documented information, (ii) OH&S policy to interested parties, as appropriate.
Communicate - OH&S policy within the organization
Ensure - OH&S policy to be relevant and appropriate
Comments
OH&S policy is an important part of the OH&S management system. It should be written in a plain and simple language, easy to understand and implement. An OH&S policy is a formal expression by the top management of the organization regarding intentions and directions to prevent work-related injury and ill health to workers and to provide safe and healthy workplaces. Thus an OH&S policy simply states how an organization, its employees, and others are expected to behave when they are on organization property or performing organization related activities.
In developing an organization's OH&S policy, consider consistency and coordination of the OH&S policy with other policies of the organization, such as QMS policy, EMS policy, etc.
(5.3) Organizational roles, responsibilities and authorities
Requirements for the top management
Ensure - Assigning and communicating the responsibilities and authorities for relevant roles within the OH&S management system at all levels within the organization,
Assign responsibility and authority for - (i) Ensuring OH&S management system conforms to the requirements of ISO 45001:2018 standard, (ii) Reporting on the performance of the OH&S management system to top management.
Requirements for workers at each level of the organization - Assume responsibility for those aspects of the OH&S management system over which the workers have control.
Comments
The top management of the organization needs to ensure that everyone in the organization know and understand responsibilities (what they need to do) and their authorities (what they are allowed to do). ISO 45001:2018 standard does not stipulate the method to be used for communication of responsibilities and authorities, however, there are several ways of communication, such as, organizational structure diagram, functional description, job description, flow chart, description in procedures, etc.
(5.4) Consultation and participation of workers
Requirements
Establish, implement and maintain - Process / processes for consultation and participation of workers at all applicable levels and functions, and workers' representatives (if any), in the development, planning, implementation, evaluation of performance and actions for improvement of OH&S management system.
Provide - (i) Mechanisms (such as worker representation), time, training and resources necessary for consultation and participation, (ii) Timely access to clear, understandable and relevant information about the OH&S management system
Determine and remove, and if cannot be removed then minimize - Obstacles or barriers to participation
Emphasize the consultation of non-managerial workers on - (i) Determining the needs and expectations of interested parties, (ii) Establishing the OH&S policy, (iii) Assigning organizational roles, responsibilities and authorities, as applicable, (iv) Determining the ways to fulfill legal requirements and other requirements, (v) Establishing OH&S objectives and planning to achieve them, (vi) Determining applicable controls for outsourcing, procurement and contractors, (vii) Determining what to monitor, measure and evaluate, (viii) Planning, establishing, implementing and maintaining an audit programme, (ix) Ensuring continual improvement.
Emphasize the participation of non-managerial workers in - (i) Determining the mechanisms for consultation and participation, (ii) Identifying hazards, (iii) Assessing risks and opportunities, (iv) Determining actions to eliminate hazards and reduce OH&S risks, (v) Determining competence requirements, training needs, training and evaluating training, (vi) Determining communication needs and its ways, (vii) Determining control measures, their effective implementation and use. (viii) Investigating incidents and nonconformities, (ix) Determining corrective actions.
Comments
Elizabeth Gasiorowski-Denis says, "Many employers recognize that successfully managing OH&S risk not only prevents injury, ill-health and death, it supports livelihoods, businesses and communities. And the system approach used by ISO 45001 can help more organizations achieve this. .... In order for an OH&S to be strong and healthy, everyone in the organization must feel that he or she shares some responsibility for maintaining a safe environment. This includes employees all the way up to executives. Company-wide engagement is one of the key benefits of ISO 45001. The new standard recognizes the value of worker consultation in the development of better OH&S practices and places greater emphasis on employees actively participating in the development, planning, implementation and continual improvement of the OH&S management system." (ISOfocus #127)
Consultation and participation of workers, including workers' representation, can be a key factors of success for an OH&S management system. Established processes of the organization should encourage consultation and participation of workers, including workers' representation.
Process for formal consulting or discussing should be established and encouraged in the organization. There should be no fear among workers for providing any suggestion. Consultation indicates a two-way communication among management and its employees that involves dialogue and exchange of suggestions and thoughts. Timely provision of information is an important aspect for consultation and participation of workers. Involving workers though communication and participation lead to good decision making on OH&S planning, implementing and performance. With an active participation of workers, feedback on OH&S management system can be obtained resulting improvement in OH&S management system. The organization should take all possible steps to encourage workers to report matters of hazardous situations, so that the organization is able to take suitable corrective and preventive measures.
*Courtesy Source*
- ISO 45001:2018
- ISO Website
- ISOfocus #127
- Keshav Ram Singhal
Please keep visiting my blog and keep commenting too. Please share information about the blog among your friends who may be interested in the subject. Academic comments and your suggestions for improvement are invited. Thanks.
