What is ISO 45001?
ISO 45001 is the internationally recognised standard for Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems. Thousands of companies are certified to the standard to ensure the best health and safety practices, which is perfect for construction companies as there are many potential risks that can be reduced. The certification demonstrates that your company is committed to a safe workplace as it tackles risks through identification and mitigation.
Making Safety a Priority
ISO 45001 implements strategies that minimise risk through identification. It is well known that working in construction can be dangerous, as employees are often working from a height and with dangerous equipment. Completing a risk assessment is the first step to this as it reduces hazards from occurring which is step one to ensuring a safer workplace.
The certification creates a health and safety mindset within your construction organisation, which implements health and safety procedures that employees must follow. An example of this would be that employees must wear personal protective equipment such as safety helmets, high-visibility clothing, safe footwear, and whatever else is necessary. Making sure employees never work in unsafe areas, never tamper with equipment, keep a tidy site, report defects and much more is crucial, and ISO 45001 ensures that these regulations are implemented.
Avoiding Costly Fines
By having ISO 4500, your construction firm will also avoid costly fines as a result of breaching legislation, for instance, the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. This act covers all people who come into interaction with your business and can be harmed due to the activity of your company. This act tells you what your responsibility is to reduce hazards and ISO 45001 will help you achieve this by implementing the strategies, that will be tailored specifically to your business.
Falling is the most common accident to happen in construction however, accidents are also caused by unsafe equipment, lack of protection and training, and much more. If companies are allowing these accidents to happen, they can receive costly fines which not only makes your company lose money, but it will also lose you, customers, and employees, as who wants to work with an unsafe company?
Ensuring scaffolding is secure, the site is tidy, and general fire safety precautions are being taken in the event of a fire along with many other potential hazards is key to avoiding fines, prison sentences, and protecting your business and all personnel within it.
Getting Started with ISO
If you want to make safety a priority and ensure the safety of your employees and other stakeholders, then becoming certified in ISO 45001 is most definitely for you.
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