Auditor ISO 45001
"In the year 2020, 760,492 occupational accidents were registered nationwide. This means that the number of occupational accidents during the first Corona pandemic year has decreased significantly compared to the relatively stable level of recent years. Compared to the record accident year of 1992, with almost 1.9 million occupational accidents, the number has more than halved." (Source)
These are welcome developments, nevertheless almost 800,000 occupational accidents in just one year is still a very high number.
Safe and healthy workplaces are key to high-performing companies. Modern occupational safety and health has long since gone far beyond primary accident prevention and pursues a comprehensive preventive approach. The aim is to consider all risks that can lead to work-related physical complaints and even occupational disability.
ISO 45001 Preventing accidents together on an international level
The ISO 45001 standard "Management systems for safety and health at work - Requirements with guidance for use", which has been in effect since March 2018, characterises the requirements for occupational safety and health management systems. It is the only internationally independent standard that specifies the requirements for occupational health and safety management systems. The focus is on the prevention of misconduct in the organisation that can lead to occupational accidents, and the reduction of accident-related downtime in the supply chain and its supplier management.
The new standard changes the focus
DIN ISO 45001 takes a comprehensive look at occupational safety and health management, starting with the identification of opportunities and risks, through the establishment of suitable processes, until their monitoring. In addition, the standard offers opportunities to sensitise all members of the organisation - especially managers - to the topic.
The area of occupational safety and health is already comprehensively regulated in Germany. In developing the new standard, the focus was placed on a management system. DIN ISO 45001 can be combined with DIN EN ISO 9001 (quality management), DIN EN ISO 14001 (environmental management) or other management system standards. From the point of view of the German Institute for Standardisation, this combination strengthens the position of occupational health and safety within an organisation. The company management and executives are placed under even greater obligation (Source). This is referred to as an integrated management system.