As Health and Safety Consultants, we are often asked our opinion by companies deciding whether they should design and implement an HSE management system which incorporates local compliance standards only. Ie. UAE Federal and Emirate specific legal health and safety requirements. Examples include; Labour Law 33 of 2021, OSHAD if the client is operating in Abu Dhabi, or TRAKHEES if the client is operating within one of their mandated zones etc.
Sometimes the client is contemplating whether the health and safety management system should further be written with even more specific boundaries in mind. Such as to match a major clients auditing protocols, or, in line with the wording of a particular high value contract they have won.
ISO Standards
In addition to the above, the clients next discussion point is generally whether or not to build an ISO standard into the system that they can take forward to accreditation. The ISO standards could include; ISO 45001:2018 Management of Health and Safety, ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management, ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management, ISO 50001:2018 Energy Management. Or, a combination of those mentioned standards or other ISO’s. This is referred to as an IMS or Integrated Management System.
Our usual advice to the client is to future proof and resist the temptation to “plaster over” the presenting problem. Which may fail to manage the real risk within their company. It has the further potential to expose them to the possibility of the perceived immediate financial efficiency not in fact working out. And the possibility of having to pay over again for a new system when their business expands, activities change or UAE based HSE legislations toughen in the future.
If you are a company pondering how your HSE management system could look if taken to an ISO standard. Here are some of the benefits to think on and how your road map from development, implementation to eventual accreditation could look.
What are the Benefits to ISO Standards ?
- ISO standards improve a company’s credibility and image: As an internationally recognized standard, the attainment of an ISO conveys a powerful message that not only is a company serious about protecting it’s own brand. It’s also serious about protecting it’s clients and their brands too
- ISO standards improve the engagement of employees: The maintenance of an ISO system will engage and positively motivate the workforce. Reducing staff complaints, staff turnover and improving staff morale. A positive health, safety and quality image will drive potential employees to want to work for a company and aid in the attraction of high quality staff . Then help to keep them for longer. Clients also like to deal with the same staff that they know and like again and again. They don’t want to work with companies who have unhappy staff or a high staff turnover
ISO standards demand continual Improvement: One integral feature of ISO systems is continual improvement. A company that can demonstrate it’s ability to improve also demonstrates a general willingness to listen and take action. Valuable traits to show off
ISO standards set out areas of responsibility across the organization: Having ISO standards in place ensures greater involvement and commitment from employees and the management team. Resulting in an improved company culture and increased performance - ISO standards aid legal compliance: Via their demand for periodic evaluation
Direct Financial Benefits
- ISO standards give companies the ability to tender for contracts: Having ISO systems in place provides proof of independent audit. It demonstrates the companies commitment to operating at a certain level. Many tenders now consider the attainment of the main aforementioned ISO standards as an essential requirement to bid. (ISO 45001:2018 Management of Health and Safety, ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management, ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management)
ISO standards give companies the ability to trade with larger businesses: Many international organisations will not engage with organisations that do not have ISO accreditations in place. Attaining ISO certification shows credibility and commitment to customer satisfaction - ISO standards provide an efficient management process: They identify and encourage more efficient and time saving processes and highlight deficiencies and efficiencies. Translating into financial benefits
- ISO standards reduce the risk of stressing companies finances: Having robust systems in place mitigates the risk of an accident or incident occurring. And the substantial associated direct and indirect costs
What Could an ISO Roadmap Look Like ?
- Either using your in house resource. Or, via a Health and Safety Consultancy, such as Corporate OHS. Make an informed decision that developing an ISO system is the best solution for you. Most companies find the implementation process the most challenging. So understand fully how this would look for you. What resources would be required and how they would be allocated. What the costs would look like etc.
- Undertake a Gap Analysis. You probably have procedures already in place, however informal. Keep it simple, you don’t want to try and reinvent the wheel ! Identify all the gaps between your existing systems of business and what is needed from the ISO standard
- Review the Gaps and build your action plans and timelines for the project
- Ensure that you have the relevant knowledge and competence in place before setting any changes in motion
- Draft your documentation taking into consideration levels of operation, manpower, complexity of processes and scope of works
- Review and refine your documentation as many times as necessary, ensuring that all project stakeholders are involved
- Implement the system, ensuring that it works for you and making amendments if necessary
- Conduct internal audits, ensuring any shortcomings are closed out
- External audits by your chosen accreditation body should now take place
- To achieve the certification, concerns raised by the accreditation body will need to be reviewed and closed out
- If you did choose to use external assistance to develop your system. Then the accrediting body company MUST be a different company to the one used for ISO system development. You will fail certification otherwise
Corporate OHS is a UAE based Health and Safety Consultancy whose HSE Consultants offer expert resources and superior performance to give you greater results.
We specialize in creating cost effective, user friendly solutions aligned to your business activities, operations and budget.
Our range of health and safety consultancy services includes;
- Health and Safety Risk assessments
- Hazard identification and control measure implementation
- Gap Analysis and audits
- HSE management system development, implementation and improvement including locally compliant systems such as Abu Dhabi OSHAD and/or accredited systems such as ISO 45001, ISO 14001, ISO 9001 and ISO 50001
- HSE legal compliance reviews and assistance
- Accident investigations
- Business continuity and crisis management
- Long term or project based HSE outsourcing
- Flexible monthly support retainers giving access to HSE services without the burden of a permanent cost
To find out more about our services, please visit our website www.corporateohs.com or send an email to enquiries@corporateohs.com