Corporate Services
Safety and Health Management Systems/OHSAS 18001
Health and safety expenses have become one of the largest cost drivers in the modern organization. More than just the cost of workman compensation claims, health care premiums, and direct medical costs, the health and safety of your workforce directly impacts your productivity, operational flexibility, and morale. Control of the firm's health care costs has long been viewed as a strategic issue. Unfortunately, most attention is placed on the control of reactive health care expenses...the expenses that accrue after a claim has been made. Visionary companies realize that it makes economic and ethical sense to reduce these expenses at their source, by maintaining a safe and healthy workplace. To do so requires that the organization go beyond compliance to OHSA regulations and focus on the elimination or control of potential sources of illness or injury. The OHSAS 18001 specification provides a framework to do just that.
The first step to implementing a comprehensive safety and health program is the determination of the safety and health regulations that apply to the firm. Next the organization identifies the workplace hazards that could cause injury or illness, and categorizes these hazards into groupings that allow prioritization and focus on those most in need of action. Actions are then identified to correct unsafe conditions, or to minimize the likelihood of injuries and accidents. Performance in accomplishing risk reduction is then monitored using a mix of program measures and process or area metrics. Organizational objectives can then be set to improve performance in key areas.
Because the scope of the safety and health program is large, and the task of identifying the firm's job hazards and associated risks is an ongoing and continual process, the initial organization and implementation of the program is critical. Developing too complex of a system will bury the safety team in paperwork, leaving little time for assessment and improvement. Too simple of a system will not provide the documentation or data to form conclusions on how well the system is performing. The task of initially identifying the regulations that apply to the firm can also be a major challenge for companies that lack dedicated safety and health staff.
Baker College can assist in the identification of safety and health regulations that apply to your firm and in the development of an efficient and effective system for the ongoing identification of job hazards and their related risks. We also have the knowledge and experience to integrate your OHSAS 18001 system into an existing environmental management system. Most importantly, we leave you with the tools and knowledge to sustain the system after we have left.
Controlling and improving your occupational health and safety programs just makes sense.
Seminars and areas of consultation include:
- OHSAS 18001
- Gap Analysis
- Integrating OHSAS 18001 with your ISO 14001 EMS
- Auditing your OH&S System
- HAZOP
- Safety and Health Compliance
- Documentation Development
- Corrective/Preventive Action
- Training Program Management
For more information about Safety and Health Management Systems OHSAS 18001 seminars and areas of consultation, complete the request form or call (810) 766-4242.