To maintain their employees' health, safety, and welfare, many organizations adopt ISO 45001. Even though the fact that laws can vary from one nation to another and even from one region to another, ISO 45001 is the only global standard that demonstrates a company's concern for everyone's well-being and commitment to enhancing workplace circumstances. In light of this, it is crucial for businesses, especially those operating in industries where there is a higher risk of accidents, to have an adequate health and safety management system in place. Consider the possibility of, for instance, being assigned to work at a nuclear power plant or to assist in the construction of a high-rise structure without any rules or regulations about health and safety.
So, we all know that taking health and safety precautions at work is important and that ISO 45001 can help with that. We are aware that the ISO standard family follows the "Plan, Do, Check, Act" cycle, which encourages measurement, monitoring, and action to ensure ongoing progress. The internal audit mechanism, which may spot gaps, non-conformances, and bad practices and remedy them, plays a crucial role in this process.
In many industrial sectors, internal audits are seen as a necessary measure. It is not overly dramatic to remark that, as a component of your ISO 45001 system, this very function, if performed correctly, can significantly improve conditions and even perhaps save lives for businesses in specific sectors. When the management team conducted its Management Review, you will have prepared for a specified number of internal audits.
The frequency of internal audits may even have been enhanced by the management's risk assessment policies, suggestions from stakeholders or staff members, or the unlucky occurrence of a workplace accident or incident. Whatever the agreed-upon frequency, the internal audit must comply with the requirements that follow:
- Make sure the audit will need to be conducted by an internal auditor who isn't a stakeholder in the actual department of evaluation and can demonstrate impartiality and fairness
- Ensure that the auditor has received the necessary ISO 45001 internal auditor training to execute the job effectively
- make sure that all laws and regulations are followed, explained, and met
- Make sure the management staff performs a "leadership" role in establishing and ensuring that goals, standards, and targets are met
- Include the workforce in the evaluation of the efficacy of an OH&S management system, as well as the efficacy of training and awareness campaigns
- make certain that risks are continually evaluated, managed, reduced, and eliminated.
- Ensure there is a line of communication open for information, feedback, and suggestions to be conveyed from top management to all stakeholders and staff
- Establish a cycle of continuous improvement that will enable the idea of enhanced health and safety to exist and grow
- Make that a corrective action system (or an equivalent) is in place to efficiently help quantify, identify the cause of, and eliminate any discovered issues to the satisfaction of both management and staff of a business
What are the benefits of ISO 45001 standard internal audit?
Financial Benefits. Who among the executive team dislikes financial advantages? You won't have costly production delays caused by accidents and incidents if your OH&S management system is supported by efficient internal audits.
Morale and positive core relationships. A secure workplace increases team confidence. Maintaining morale can be achieved by making sure your internal audit process is compatible with the OH&S management system. The organization's care for its employees may be shown by the actions and words taken, and by using employee feedback in the internal auditing process, it can be seen that the issue of workplace safety is taken seriously and that employees are truly respected.
Reputational aids. An amazing health and safety record sustained through the implementation of efficient internal audits is a great indicator of a company's health for a potential customer. A potential customer can feel more confident doing business with the organization if they can demonstrate their organization's success and commitment to improvement in their OH&S management system.
So, there are numerous advantages to having a strong ISO 45001 internal audit process supporting an efficient OH&S management system. Adhering to the requirements of ISO 45001 might help to safeguard the employees while also perhaps advancing the company.
Source: https://iso45001procedure.wordpress.com/2023/02/27/why-organization-should-perform-effective-iso-45001-internal-audits/
