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OHSAS 18000

Background Introduction

Occupational health and safety management system (OHSMS) is a modern safe-production management mode which rose in the world in the late 1980s. Like ISO9000 and ISO14000, it is called the management method of the post-industrialization era. One of the main reasons for its emergence is the needs for development of enterprises themselves. With the development and expansion of enterprises, they have to adopt a more modern management mode to make all production and operation activities, including the management of quality and occupational health and safety etc., scientific, standardized and legalized.

In the 1980s, some developed countries took the lead in studying and implementing occupational health and safety management system activities. Among them, the United Kingdom published BS 8800 Guide to Occupational Safety and Health Management Systems in 1996. After that, some organizations in the United States, Australia, Japan and Norway also established relevant guidance documents. In 1999, 13 organizations such as British Standards Institution and Det Norske Veritas put forward a series of standards for occupational health and safety evaluation (OHSS), i.e., OHSAS 18001 Occupational health and safety management systems--Requirements and OHSAS 18002 Occupational Health and Safety Management System Implementation--Guidelines. Although the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) decided not to publish such standards at that time, many countries and international organizations continued to undertake relevant researches and practices, and made it another internationally concerned standard after ISO 9000 and ISO 14000. China adopted the OHSS series standards identically and published GB/T 28001-2001 Occupational health and safety management systems--Requirements and GB/T 28002-2002 Occupational Health and Safety Management System Implementation--Guidelines in 2001 and 2002 respectively. The OHSAS 18001 standard was revised in 2007, and OHSAS 18001: 2007 Occupational health and safety management systems--Requirements was published. China adopted it identically, and published GB/T 28001-2011 Occupational health and safety management systems--Requirements in 2011.

In 2013, the International Organization for Standardization set up ISO/PC283, the Occupational Health and Safety Management Technical Committee, to develop a new international standard, ISO45001 Occupational health and safety management systems--Requirements. On March 12, 2018, the first global standard for occupational health and safety management system, ISO 45001: 2018, was officially published. China adopted the ISO 45001standard identically, and published the GB/T 45001-2020 Occupational health and safety management systems—Requirements with guidance for use on March 6, 2020 for implementation.

In November 2016, IAF passed its decision IAF 2016-15, stipulating that the transition period of ISO 45001 was three years after its publication. In other words, the transition to ISO 45001:2018 certification from OHSAS 18001:2007 would be completed before March 12, 2021.

Introduction to ISO 45001/OHSAS 18001

1.Characteristics of OHSAS 18001

1) Establish a management system to control risks and improve performance

2) Adopt the PDCA cycle

3) Prevention first, continuous improvement and dynamic management

4) Compliance with legal requirements required throughout the system

5) Applicable to all industries

6) The principle voluntariness


2.Main changes in ISO 45001

The construction of ISO 45001 is based on the existing OHSAS 18001 requirements, and the main goal remains the same, which is to improve the occupational health and safety performance of the organization. In additional, there are the following differences:

  • The high-level structure of the ISO management system is used

  • More attention paid to the "organizational context"

  • Emphasis on the responsibility and leadership of top management

  • Additional focus on management responsibilities

  •  Risk-based thinking is emphasized

  •  More attention paid to performance monitoring and measurement


Benefits brought to the organization by the establishment and implementation of the occupational health and safety management system

An organization that controls its occupational health and safety risks and improves its occupational health and safety performance through the implementation of the occupational safety and health management system will receive benefits, including but not limited to the following:

1. Provide the organization with scientific and effective occupational health and safety management system standard and guidelines;

2. The reliability of safety technology systems and people is not enough to eliminate accidents entirely. Organizational management factors are the most underlying causes of accidents in complex systems. Systematization, prevention-oriented, all-staff, whole-process and all-round safety management;

3. Promote the implementation of occupational health and safety regulations and policies;

4. Turn the organization's occupational health and safety management into proactive, voluntary behavior, improve the level of occupational health and safety management, and form a mechanism of self-supervision, self-discovery and self-improvement;

5. Promote further alignment with international standards and eliminate the trade barriers and the green barriers after the accession to the WTO;

6. Help to improve the safety awareness of the staff;

7. Improve working conditions, improve workers' physical and mental health and safety and health skills, greatly reduce cost and improve work efficiency, and produce direct and indirect economic benefits;

8. Improving the quality of human resources. According to the theory of human capital, people's work efficiency is closely related to the safety and health conditions of their work environment, while good conditions can greatly improve productivity, enhance the cohesion and development of the organization.

9. Establish good quality, reputation and image in the society. Excellent modern enterprises should not only have economic strength and technical ability, but also should maintain a strong sense of social concern and responsibility and ensure the safety and health of their employees.

10. The integration of ISO 45001/OHSAS 18000 with ISO9000 and IS014000 will become the signature of modern enterprises.

Scope of application

The ISO 45001/OHSAS 18001 standard is the criteria for organizations that apply for certification. In the scope of application of the standard, it is clearly stated that this standard is applicable to organizations of any size, type and nature. So far, the organizations that have been granted the certification in the world are from various industries and sectors in the national economy.

Note: Apply for OHSAS 18001 certification was no longer available after March 12, 2021.

Conditions for applying for certification

Organizations applying for ISO 45001/OHSAS 18001 certification should meet the following basic conditions:

(1) An organization with independent legal status or authorized by an independent legal person;

(2) A documented occupational health and safety management system in accordance with the requirements of ISO 45001/OHSAS 18001 has been established. The internal audit and management review has been completed before the application, and the occupational health and safety management system has been fully and effectively operated for more than three months;

(3) The organization shall provide CEPREI Certification Body with sufficient information on the operation of the occupational health and safety management system, and shall specify the certification scope, address and personnel distribution of each site for multiple sites certification;

(4) Starting from the establishment of the occupational health and safety management system, the organization shall maintain self-evaluation of the compliance with laws and regulations, and submit the documents like the monitoring reports of hazardous substances at its workplace. When the relevant legal requirements are not met, necessary corrective actions shall be taken in a timely manner.