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Lightning Protection OHSAS 18001 2007
25 November 2009
OHSAS 18001 2007 - Churchill Steeplejacks (UK) Ltd have become the first company operating in the steeplejack & lightning protection sector to achieve certification to OHSAS 18001 2007.
WHAT IS IT?
OHSAS 18001 is the internationally recognised standard for occupational health and safety management. The standard can be adopted by any organisation wishing to implement a formal procedure to reduce the risks associated with health and safety at work. The standard is designed to clarify an organisation's impact on health and safety issues, as well as to help reduce the risk of accidents and any breach in legal requirements.
Learn more about OHSAS 18001
This page covers information regarding our OHSAS 18001 certification service as well as the history of the standard itself. Use the links below to jump to a particular section of the page.
THE HISTORY OF THE OHSAS 18001 STANDARD
The OHSAS 18001 standard was developed to bridge the gap where no international standard existed for occupational health and safety. Development involved input from a number of leading bodies, including certifiers, trade bodies and expert consultancies.
The first version of the standard appeared in 1999 and was based on a number of existing standards (including BS8800:1996) that had been developed by the leading national certification bodies.
The current version of the standard is OHSAS 18001:2007. This supersedes OHSAS 18001:1999, which is to be phased out by July 2009. Thereafter it will no longer be recognised.
Despite not being an ISO standard, OHSAS 18001 has been designed to be compatible with the ISO 9001 (Quality) and ISO 14001 (Environmental) standards, thus helping organisations to achieve an integrated management strategy.
The OHSAS 18001 standard specifies a number of key criterion for an organisation to demonstrate and includes:-
1. Planning for hazard identification, risk assessment and risk control
2. Structure and responsibility
3. Training, awareness and competence
4. Consultation and communication
5. Operational control
6. Emergency preparedness and response
7. Performance measuring, monitoring and improvement
BENEFITS OF OHSAS 18001
Most organisations pursue OHSAS 18001 certification to qualify for a tender or to achieve preferred supplier status: e.g. for a Local Authority. However, there are many other benefits that can be gained, including:
1. Reduced risk to employees, customers and suppliers
2. Reduction in the costs associated with accidents at work
3. Enhanced staff morale and motivation
4. Demonstrate legal compliance
5. Reduced insurance premiums
6. Competitive advantage
7. Enhance status
In a competitive market, your customers are looking for more than just keen pricing. Organisations need to demonstrate that their delivery is managed efficiently and responsibly, and that they can provide a reliable service free of the downtime associated with work-related accidents and incidents.
An effective occupational health and safety management system promotes a safe and healthy working environment by providing a framework that allows your organisation to identify and control its health and safety risks, reduce the potential for accidents, aid legislative compliance and improve overall performance.
In addition, OHSAS 18001 is designed to be compatible with other management system standards such as ISO 9001 (Quality), ISO 14001 (Environmental) and ISO 27001 (Information Security).
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