Qualityworld

• Knowledge portal
• FAQs
• Information
• Qualityworld
  • Current issue
  • Editorial comment
  • Free Qualityworld
  • Past articles
  • Advertisers
  • Subscribe to Qualityworld
  • Advertise in Qualityworld
• Journal of Quality
• Jobs
• Press
• Links

Helpdesk

The problem

I have heard that there have been some recent changes to OHSAS 18000. What are they and why have they come about?

Over to the expert

There is currently no internationally accepted ISO or British standard on occupational health and safety. Over the past 20 years or so a number of management system standards have been developed. Occupational health and safety (OH&S) has had no such accepted specification, despite being of paramount importance and subject to legislative regulation in most countries.

In 1996 the UK published BS 8800:1996, guidance on OH&S management system implementation. This was widely welcomed. However, there was no consensus for a specification, even in the UK. In the same year, ISO held a workshop to determine whether there was an international requirement for standardisation in this field. They concluded at that time there was not. In 2000, ISO members voted on the need for such a standard, but the necessary two-thirds majority was not obtained.

The OHSAS project group was established in 1998. Its original objectives were to promote the publication by ISO of an OH&S management system standard specification and requirements standard and to develop a specification. In the absence of an ISO consensus, the group created its own specification, OHSAS 18001: Occupational health and safety management systems. This was supported two years later by a corresponding guidance document, OHSAS 18002.

There have been a number of surveys carried out showing that the take-up of OHSAS 18001 has been widespread. Over the last few years there has been activity at ISO, the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) with respect to OH&S management systems. These discussions are ongoing. ISO is currently consulting with ILO about a guidance standard which would have extensive additional guidance on good practice and implementation from BS 8800:2004. CEN has had similar discussions on the benefits of standardisation and is awaiting the results of the ISO/ILO dialogue. CEN will consider whether there is a case for European standardisation in this area only if ISO and ILO decide not to proceed. The ILO held a conference in March this year to decide on its position. It will discuss the matter again in June.

Whatever the outcome, there have been a number of important changes which demand a fresh look at the whole area.The 2000 revision of ISO 9001 marked a step change in the quality field, and the benefits of integration of management system standards are now widely perceived. A new version of the environmental standard ISO 14001 was published in 2004 which provided the framework of OHSAS 18001:1999. It is now regarded as essential that any new version is similarly compatible with both the environmental and quality standard. This must not, however, be in any way to the detriment of the OH&S requirements which have some unique elements.

In the new draft many changes have been made with this improved alignment in view. Some terms have been modified and definitions improved and sub-clauses added. However, all such amendments are subject to final agreement - the final document will be published within the next couple of months.

David Smith is director of iMS Risk Solutions and chair of BSi's committee for health and safety management systems.

Join the debate

Do you think there should be an ISO standard for health and safety? Join the debate on our discussion forum by visiting the CQI forum.