Businesses in the U.S. and around the world are gearing up for a change in occupational health and safety accreditation. These changes, which include a new international framework for improving employee safety and working conditions, are timely and should be welcomed. Global research indicates that 2.3 million workplace deaths occur each year, and every 15 seconds 153 workers endure a work-related accident. In the U.S., out of 4,379 worker fatalities in private industries, 21.4 percent are in construction.
Recognizing that the devastation of injury or loss of life cannot be quantified, the impact of workplace accidents on businesses and people often include loss of income, costly insurance premiums, excessive legal fees, workforce absenteeism and early worker retirement, to name a few. From an economic perspective, poor workplace safety leads to an annual four percent increase in the cost of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
These figures paint a concerning but very real picture on the state of workplace safety and the cost of the risks, which is why this issue should be at the top of a business’s priority list. For U.S. businesses operating in the construction space, or other high-risk industry, this message is amplified.
The new global standard for workplace safety developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) – ISO 45001, Occupational health and safety management systems – Requirements – is scheduled for publication in March 2018. Importantly, it includes a stringent development process that encapsulates best practice international standards common to ILO-OSH Guidelines, OHSAS 18001, and other national standards and conventions.
ISO 45001 will effectively establish new standards that allow for:
- superior methods for pinpointing operational health hazards, leading to a significant reduction in workplace safety incidents, absenteeism and staff turnover;
- improved implementation of multiple occupational health and safety policies, standards and objectives, and associated worker involvement in health and safety execution;
- an enhanced capacity for rapid real-time response to regulatory compliance issues; and
- advanced online documentation and reporting processes that confirms complete company-wide commitment to the ISO 45001 guidelines and management system, including better handling of compliance and legal records.
By implementing ISO 45001, U.S. businesses will be in league with the international community in reducing work-related accidents, diseases and injuries – this is because ISO 45001 focuses on cutting-edge measures that improve management’s attention to hazard-related risk factors before they happen.
For construction managers, or any business owner in a high-risk industry considering the upgrade to ISO 45001, here are five reasons to upgrade:
1.Embrace digital to optimize safety. The construction industry is one of the slowest industries to adopt digital tools but it is crucial that it does. Streamlining occupational health and safety practices, coupled with cloud-based mobile construction management technology will significantly increase the benefits of using ISO 45001. Ultimately, the days of manual project management and compliance reporting are over. To embrace ISO 45001– which could now be considered the gold standard in safety – it is necessary to embrace digital.
2.Real data is king. Reliable data acquisition, accumulation, analysis and feedback are a core component of transitioning to and applying ISO 45001. The ISO 45001 management system, combined with specialized cloud-based tools, together provide construction managers with real-time data on all aspects of construction projects, large-scale and small – meaning managers can have a 360 degree view of projects and people 24/7, and be alerted to potential hazards with enough time for plans to be put in place so these can be prevented, rather than reacted to, according to guidelines set out under ISO 45001.
3. Better identification of safety GAPs: As with any transition or change process, it is always helpful to identify any processes or procedures necessary for adoption or revision before implementing a new system. To get prepared for ISO 45001, it would therefore be worthwhile undertaking a GAP analysis so that it is much easier to develop a transition strategy that best suits the organization and its operational mechanics.
3.Better identification of safety GAPs. As with any transition or change process, it is always helpful to identify any processes or procedures necessary for adoption or revision before implementing a new system. To get prepared for ISO 45001, it would therefore be worthwhile undertaking a GAP analysis so that it is much easier to develop a transition strategy that best suits the organization and its operational mechanics.
Keep in mind that ISO 45001 integrates into pre-established construction industry worker wellbeing and wellness health and safety management processes. It would be wise to use the time between now and March to examine distinctions between ISO 45001 and the current programs.
4.Safety is a universal concern, so get everyone on board. Communication and consultation are essential to ensure everyone has a genuine understanding of ISO 45001 and how this impacts them. This includes communication between management and work teams, and between the organization and other interested parties. Hold workshops, planning sessions and tutorials with teams to get everyone briefed and running on the new system. Consultation should inform each stage of the migration process so that safety becomes embedded within all-inclusive culture.
5.Better flexibility to satisfy industry requirements. ISO 45001 has been designed to fit every organization, irrespective of culture or size, and therefore fit harmoniously within the environment of construction and construction-contractor businesses. Understandably, it can be challenging to adapt to legislative and technological changes but the benefit of ISO 45001 is that it provides businesses with the flexibility to satisfy unique needs and circumstances.
Businesses have three months to get ready for ISO 45001.
While voluntary US standards are still current, businesses have an opportunity to be on the front foot for creating safe working environments. This is a common goal that the construction industry should be working towards and has an opportunity to lead.
