Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems
Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems (OHSMS) are formal management frameworks that assist with the management of health and safety within a workplace.
They include:
- Health and safety policies
- Systems
- Standards
- Records
- Inspections
- Audits etc
Having an effective management system improves both an employer and employee’s ability to continuously identify hazards and risks within a workplace [1] given that organisations have a legal duty to put in place arrangements to effectively manage health and safety in the workplace.
The key to an effective occupational heath and safety management system involves[2]:
- Leadership and management (including the operation of effective business processes):
- A trained/skilled workforce
- A work environment where all employees are trusted and involved.
All of these elements underpinned by an understanding of the profile of risks the organisation creates or faces are needed.
The following diagram[2] describes an effective OHSMS:
Examples of formal OHSMS include:
- ISO 45001:2018 Occupational health and safety management systems – Requirements with guidance for use (prior to ISO 45001 being published OHSAS 18001 was in use as the primary example of a formal OHSMS).
- In-house standards, procedures or codes
- Sector specific frameworks e.g. Energy Institute’s High-Level Framework for process safety management