2016 will see a change in the Occupational Health and Safety standard. There will be a new international standard which will see a move away from the existing OHSAS 18001 to a new standard ISO 45001. In early 2016, the standard will move into a translation period as a Draft International Standard (DIS) which will be reviewed by standards bodies, if changes are required then it will move to Final Draft International Standard (FDIS) before release in the second half of the year or early next year.
The aim is to bring a range of national health and safety standards into one international standard. It will also see the existing standard become more aligned with other international standards; ISO9001:2015 and ISO14001:2015.
For Premier Hytemp, the changes will not be significant. We are already certified on both sites to the existing standard. The new standard will:
- Concentrate on health and safety issues which not only have a direct impact on the business but also may impact surrounding communities.
- Health and Safety will not be the sole responsibility of the Health and Safety Manager as responsibility will become integrated into the structure of the organisation ensuring a buy-in from top management, which we already have and greater employee contribution.
As with ISO9001 and ISO14001 there will be a transition period to allow for training and implementation.
To learn more about our commitment to safe and efficient engineered solutions, visit our What We Do page.