Health and Safety AS 4801 and OHSAS 18001

AS 4801 is the Australian and New Zealand Standard for Health and Safety Management Systems. OHSAS 18001 is an international Standard for Health and Safety Management Systems. These are not ISO Standards.

AS 4801 and OHSAS 18001 specify requirements for a work health and safety management system to enable an organisation formulate a Policy and objectives taking into account legislative requirements and information about workplace hazards and risks.

Benefits of Implementing an AS 4801 (or OHSAS 18001) system

An effective Health and Safety Management System will assist you to create a safer work environment.

Here are 7 reasons why you should implement an AS 4801 (or OHSAS 18001) Management System within your organistion. The System:

•  Assists to reduce injuries and injury related costs through a proactive approach to managing safety
• Improves business opportunities – your clients may have preferential purchasing policies that favour organisations with a Health and Safety Management System
• Ensures that health and safety hazards in your workplace are eliminated or controlled in a systematic manner
• Provides measureable systems that can verify your health and safety performance
• Demonstrates that you are complying with health and safety legislation
• Enhances your organisation’s reputation
• Assists to foster a safety culture within your organisation

Audits

Auditing is the process involved in assisting your organisation to achieve your health and safety goals and objectives. It is concerned with evaluating and improving the effectiveness of the Health and Safety Management System. Our Audit methodology identifies the strength of how your organisation manages workplace safety, and the opportunities that are available to improve safety performance.

Certification

Qual-Safe Management Systems will examine your system during an audit and determine whether it conforms to the Health and Safety Standard. A Certificate will be issued once all requirements have been satisfactorily addressed and implemented.

Accreditation

In the event of your organisation requiring a Certificate issued by a JAS-ANZ Accredited Auditing body, which may be a mandatory requirement of some clients, Qual-Safe Management Systems will guide you through the process, or refer you to an authorised accredited organisation.

Changes to the AS 4801 and OHSAS 18001Standards

AS 4801 and OHSAS 18001 are soon to be replaced! The current editions are dated 2001 and 2007. The OHSAS 18001 Standard has a strong demand on legal requirements, whereas the AS 4801 Standard does not have as strong a demand. The initial objective of the AS 4801Standard was to set auditable criteria for a health and safety management system. Many of the requirements in OHSAS 18001 are required due to Federal and State legislative requirements.

A new global standard for health and safety management systems is planned for release during the latter part of 2016. This Standard will be known as ISO 45001:2016 and will replace the AS 4801and OHSAS 18001 Standards. This Standard will be closely aligned with the ISO 9001 Quality and ISO 14001 Environmental Standards in regards to its structure. It will also include the requirement to address legislative requirements.