For most Australian small business owners, the safety and security of their staff and clients is already their first priority. But as time goes on and your business expands, your risk management protocols will also need to evolve to account for new, changing and maybe even unknown threats.
For small business owners looking to take a robust approach to their occupational health and safety compliance, certification to ISO 45001:2018 for Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems can provide the structure and frameworks they need.
Today, our ISO consultants here at S & J Auditing & Consulting will walk you through all the key advantages of securing ISO 45001:2018 Certification for your business, outlining why and how this ISO standards translates into tailored and effective safety management systems for your business.
What is ISO 45001?
ISO 45001:2018 is the current, up-to-date Occupational Health and Safety Management standard from the International Organisation for Standardisation. This particular standard is designed to outline the requirements for Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) Management Systems for those systems to be ISO compliant.
Whilst the ISO 45001:2018 Standard outlines the requirements for ISO compliance for OH&S Management Systems, supporting Standards across the wider ISO 45000 Family of Standards provide additional guidance for tailoring, implementing, and improving OH&S Management Systems.
Referring to the wider ISO 45000 Family of Standards as well as any other ISO Standards (for those seeking Certification to multiple Standards) is easier with the support of ISO experts like our team at S & J Auditing & Consulting. If you are seeking Certification to multiple Standards, consider exploring our case studies on our website for some further insights into how our ISO consulting team can curate your OH&S Management Systems to integrate with additional ISO compliance requirements across other Standards (i.e. ISO 9001, ISO 14001, etc.).
The Key Advantages of Certification to ISO 45001:2018
With this foundational understanding of ISO 45001:2018 for OH&S Management Systems, let’s unpack some of the core benefits of Certification to this ISO Standard in greater detail.
1. Safer Workplaces with Fewer Risks & Hazards
Naturally, the foremost benefit of ISO 45001 Certification is a safer working environment for your staff and stakeholders. The ISO 45001:2018 Standard provides a detailed framework for identifying, assessing, and mitigating workplace risks and hazards, including risks of injuries or accidents relating to the presence of hazardous materials and even to the physical design of workspaces.
The implementation and maintenance of risk management protocols and safety procedures helps organisations greatly reduce the likelihood of workplace accidents and injuries occurring. This in turn, aids in supporting worker health, reducing staff turnover, minimising worker absenteeism, and also reducing risks of business downtime that may result from OH&S incidents across your business.
2. Continuous OH&S Improvements
By facilitating a systematic approach to risk management, OH&S Management Systems that are fully ISO compliant, supports organisations in not only developing OH&S protocols, but also keeping them up-to-date as your company’s risks evolve.
This focus on continuous improvements that’s cultivated by the ISO frameworks is essential for proactive risk management. Simply put, for business owners looking to demonstrate their commitment to worker health and safety and managing liabilities, investing in a tailored OH&S Management System for your business can help streamline maintenance and updating of health and safety policies and protocols.
Pro tip: familiarise yourself with the PDCA framework for continuous improvements as you embark on your Certification journey. With a solid understanding of continuous improvement processes, you can make sure your OH&S Management System and other ISO Management Systems are optimised for change between and immediately following ISO audits.
3. Improved Workplace Culture
Naturally, a safer working environment will foster a stronger workplace culture, as your staff and stakeholders will feel as though their wellbeing is prioritised and considered across your business operations.
As ISO 45001:2018 also outlines ergonomic improvements to workplace and workstation design, as well as the use and maintenance of PPE (personal protective equipment), implementing ISO 45001 frameworks can also greatly boost the everyday comfort of your company premises and worksites. These visible physical improvements will help cultivate worker satisfaction, supporting your staff in growing with your organisation and encouraging them to participate in future workplace improvements themselves.
4. Supporting Industry Regulatory Compliance
For industries governed by regulatory bodies, maintaining industry regulatory compliance often requires additional resources and ad-hoc workloads for business owners, managers, and even staff. Instead, the ISO 45001:2018 frameworks operate on the principle of proactive over reactive OH&S measures. As a result, one of the most potent benefits of ISO 45001 Certification is that you don’t have to make time to confirm your regulatory compliance.
Your ISO 45001-compliant Management Systems are designed to ensure ongoing legal compliance by integrating compliance monitoring processes such as internal auditing, directly against legal obligations. Alongside helping you maintain your ISO Certification; these compliance monitoring processes are tailored to consider the applicable regulatory requirements in context to your business, not just a generic safety checklist!
5. Stronger Business Reputation & Stakeholder Trust
With ISO 45001:2018 Certification, your organisation can showcase its dedication to OH&S management. This will make your organisation a more appealing partner for clients and customers who value health and safety management – which is unsurprisingly, most people.
For example, if you manage a property development company and work with homeowners looking to build their family home, ISO 45001:2018 Certification will communicate to these prospective clients that they can expect a higher level of care from you and your staff as you work on their property.
For B2B enterprises, discerning business clients will also recognise ISO 45001:2018 Certification as a potent trust signal that communicates your organisation’s commitment to minimising incidents that may result in business downtime. A safer enterprise is a more efficient enterprise, and B2B clients are likely to value that quality in their prospective partners.
6. Improved Cost Efficiency with Fewer Liabilities
That brings us to one of the most overlooked benefits of ISO 45001:2018 Certification: cost savings. ISO Certification can come with a significant upfront cost investment, but the financial return of Certification is long-lasting as enterprises maintain their Certification.
In the example of ISO 45001:2018 Certification, however, the cost efficiency stems from a few different sources, including:
- Reduced insurance claims = reduced insurance expenditures
- Reduced risk of business downtime = improved operational efficiency
- Properly maintained tools and equipment = reduced maintenance and repair costs
- Improved worker health and staff retention = reduced training investments and recruitment costs
7. Greater Business Opportunities
Another vital commercial benefit of ISO 45001:2018 Certification is the simple fact that Certification to this internationally recognised OH&S Standard can help position your enterprise for greater success in qualifying for high-profile tender contracts. For business owners who are looking to take on local civil projects or even state or federal government contracts, securing ISO 45001:2018 Certification can help equip your enterprise with a competitive advantage over other applicants.
Secure ISO 45001:2018 Certification for Your Small Business
In short, the benefits of ISO 45001 Certification mirror the benefits of ISO Certification across other standards. These benefits are dynamic and interconnecting, helping to elevate your workplaces in a variety of ways.
If you’d like to secure ISO 45001:2018 Certification and implement a tailored OH&S Management System for your organisation, then get in touch with our team of ISO consultants here at S & J Auditing & Consulting. With decades of combined experience in providing tailored ISO solutions for a range of industries, our consultants are always happy to help you prepare and execute a goal-oriented Certification strategy for your business.
