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ROI CalculatorHealth and Safety Management ensures organizations protect people, products, and operations from risks by identifying and addressing them before they turn dangerous. It is about having a system that works when it matters.
Although ISO 9001:2015 QMS does not mention safety specifically, interested parties’ safety requirements must be met, hazards must be identified and actions taken to reduce risks and a safe workplace must be provided.
The clauses most relevant to safety are:
Understanding the needs and expectations of interested parties. ISO 9000:2015 paragraph 3.2.3 defines interested parties as a person or organization that can affect or be affected by an activity including customers, people in the organization, suppliers, regulators, society.
Establish the quality policy, including a commitment to satisfy applicable requirements.
Actions to address risks and opportunities. Determine the risks and opportunities that need to be addressed to prevent or reduce undesired effects, and achieve improvement.
Environment for the operation of processes. Provide a suitable social, psychological and physical environment.
ISO 9004:2018 Quality management, Organization quality–Guidance on continued success Clause 9.5 provides further details about the workplace such as: “the organization shall give them appropriate consideration for health and safety rules and guidelines”.
Each organization must comply with applicable safety requirements. Interested parties' safety requirements and the applicable requirements referred to throughout ISO 9001:2015 contain safety requirements employers must comply with.
To meet the requirements of health and safety law it is necessary to:
Provide a safe working environment and safe systems of work, conduct risk assessments.
Take action to remove hazards and reduce risk in accordance with the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.
Conduct risk assessments which consider the health and safety of persons who may be affected by the business, including risks to visitors and contractors, risks to neighbors (regulation 3 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999).
Obtain a permit and conduct environmental impact assessments if business activities present a significant risk of pollution in accordance with the Environmental permitting Regulations 2010.
Provide products that are safe to use, and can be safely disposed of in accordance with the EU General Product Safety Directive 2001/95/EC, and other directives relating to specific products, e.g. Machinery 2006/42/EC, or Medical devices 2007/47/EC.
Health and safety law across nations are based on the following principles found under section 1 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974:
To secure the health safety and welfare of persons at work.
Protect persons other than persons at work against risks to health or safety arising out of or in connection with the activities of persons at work.
Control the keeping or use of explosives and other highly flammable or dangerous substances.
Control emissions into the atmosphere of noxious or offensive substances.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) publishes a range of legal documents and a number of approved codes of practice, all of which list applicable regulations and explain how those regulations should be implemented. HSE has produced several guidance documents that include suggestions on how to implement regulations.
