Why Your Organization Should Not Wait on Certification to ISO 45001

Today’s workplace is more advanced and complex than it was 15 years ago. Production lines are more sophisticated. The sheer speed at which new processes can now be completed means that new considerations come into play for safety. Organizations understand how technological advances may impact the occupational health and safety of their employees, and they leverage change management to minimize risks and hazards.

Health and safety in the workplace is more than just paperwork, procedures and statements from management that they are committed to safety. It is important to create a true culture of safety within the work environment that everyone is engaged in.

What is your current OH&S management system? Is it updated? Do your employees know all the hazards in your workplace? There may be more than you realize, and risk identification is a key component of ISO 45001 certification. When a brand-new machine gets installed, for example, it also brings with it new potential hazards for the workplace.

If one is not aware of these risks, it can have a negative impact on the organization, particularly in this era of increased concern for health and well-being. Pandemic or not, it is time well spent to identify these risks.

A certification to ISO 45001 standard has the following benefits:

• Potential cost savings. A certification from NSF-ISR may inform you about things you never knew could potentially be hazards. Accidents can be costly, and that cost spreads to opportunity cost as well in the form of lost production. Sometimes the affected employee never returns to the organization, and then there are hiring and retraining costs. Going through the audit required as part of ISO 45001 certification can have a significant impact on the reduction of future losses, with the prevention of possible accidents in the workplace.
• Enhanced public image. This certification will result in credibility with the public. When a company advertises that it is certified with the NSF logo, people take notice, and not just suppliers and vendors.

Certifying your organization to the ISO 45001 standard has a positive impact on workplace culture and employee morale. This can go a long way in a job market where employee retention continues to be a challenge.

It makes a statement that employees’ physical and mental well-being are prioritized above operations, and that’s important. ISO 45001 has been globally recognized in part because it deals with the personal health and safety risks — both mental and physical — of any process or use of machinery within an organization.