Responsibility for the workforce

Health and safety at work is an increasingly important issue in every company.

Anyone in a managerial position is responsible for the health and safety of the workers - whether running a small business or an international organisation. Ever more importance is being attached to occupational health and safety in today's business climate where the pace of work is increasing and the pressure on staff is rising, contributing to the risk of burnout. This is because the workers are the most valuable assets in any company. It is therefore in the best interests of every organisation to support their health and well-being.

Culture of certified safety

The ISO 45001 standard sets out the criteria applicable to the evaluation of an occupational health and safety management system. The main aim is to work towards the systematic and continuous improvement of the systems which have been put in place to promote health and safety at work, integrating various steps in the business processes, from planning right through to implementation. This generates a general culture of safety in a company which is as effective at reducing loss of sales and income as it is at cutting administration costs and premiums. All these measures ultimately help to increase competitiveness, enhance the public image and improve the motivation of the workforce.

Ethical business is key

Any organisation where occupational health and safety are afforded a high status will have a greater aura of credibility in its dealings with customers, suppliers, staff, authorities, investors and the general public. This is particularly true in relation to international enterprises which are exposed in greater measure to reputation risk in this regard. Social Accountability 8000 (SA8000) is the name of the standard which companies with a social conscience can refer to in order to demonstrate their commitment to ethical conduct in a credible manner. It is based on international norms and agreements, such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child or the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations.

Integration in the overall system

The promotion of health and safety in the workplace is an indispensable aspect of the wider remit of corporate quality. The various certificates can therefore be integrated with comparatively little investment in existing management systems like ISO 9001 or ISO 14001 .