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The primary purpose of both the ISO 45001 and the OHSAS 18001 is the same. They look to help companies in safeguarding their workplace from possible disruptions. The ISO 45001 replaced the OHSAS 18001 and became a mandatory requirement for companies who want to secure their workplaces from unwanted hazards.

The ISO 45001:2018 Occupational Health and Safety Management System is often compared with the former standard and even mistaken to be the same. Unlike the OHSAS 18001, the latter follows the same approach as the other ISO standards like the ISO 9001, the ISO 14001, and the ISO 27001. Certain aspects of the OHSAS 18001 have been considered while designing the ISO 45001. The main agenda of the new and distinct ISO standard is to enable business organisations in ensuring workplace practices to maintain compliance. The focus of each of the standards is different. There are many other aspects, which are the causes of differences between the two. If the concern is regarding the relevance and effectiveness, then the following emphasis on the comparison will be helpful for you.

What is the ISO 45001:2018 Occupational Health and Safety Management System?

It is the newest international standard for the occupational health and safety management system. The system helps to improve workplace safety rules, regulations, and procedures. The primary aim of employers is to receive the expected productivity of the employers. To get that, a positive and secure workplace is necessary. Workers have specific requirements for health and safety. To understand their needs and fulfil those on time, the ISO 45001 has designed a robust protocol. It aims to minimise any workplace-related risks causing illness, accidents, injury, and other fatalities.

What is the OHSAS 18001?

It is the former organisational health and safety management system, which focussed on hazard control measures. Unlike the new ISO 45001, OHSAS 18001 does not address any specific product/department/service safety. It provides overall guidance for occupational health and safety management. For years, it has been an effective tool for timely eliminating workplace hazards. In supporting stakeholder interests regarding health and security, this certification has done an exclusive job.

In the following aspects, the two certification standards differ significantly –

1.The structure – The design of the ISO 45001 is based on the Annex SL model unlike the OHSAS 18001. The major requirements and the implementation procedures of the ISO 45001 are like the format of the ISO standards.

2.Objectives – Unlike OHSAS 18001, the new model focuses on those objectives, which are directly linked to the performance of the workers. The major topics for the objectives include resource procurement, internal and external communication, communication flow, and participation and cooperation of the staff.

3.Risk and opportunity management – As mentioned earlier, the OHSAS 18001 only focussed on the familiar hazards. The ISO 45001 precisely concentrates on both the risk and opportunity factors. The aim of the standard is to consider and determine both the threat and opportunity aspects and take decisions accordingly. The standard helps the management to utilise the opportunities to reduce the familiarity of the risk factors.

4.Leadership and commitment – As OHSAS 18001 only focussed on hazards and their elimination strategies, it has given less attention to the leadership qualities and commitment of the management personnel. The new standard, the ISO 45001 checks the cooperation and proactive level of the top authority as one of the main requirements is the participation of a charismatic leadership team.

5.Third-party and employee involvement – One of the main problems of the OHSAS 18001 was the framework did not allow for broad participation from the employees. The ISO 45001 considers the interest of the third parties and the employees. Their concerns towards health and safety are always valued in the framework. The management is forced to consider their perspectives before enforcing any strategy.

To have a better understanding of the new occupational health and safety management program, consider taking help from professional ISO consultants.

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