ISO 45001:2018 Clause 5: Leadership and Worker Participation (Part 2 of 7)

ISO 45001:2018 Clause 5: Leadership and Worker Participation (Part 2 of 7)

This clause provides guidance on how the organisation demonstrates leadership in relation to the OH&S management system and how it ensures adequate worker participation in its development and implementation.

Leadership from top management is imperative for the success of the management system and for the achievement of continual improvement relating to health and safety issues within the organisation.

If employees see top management taking health and safety seriously this will greatly assist in the development of a positive culture throughout the organization.

Leadership and commitment can be shown by:

• Aligning the OH&S management system with other parts of the organization;
• Ensuring the necessary resources are available such as personnel, PPE, etc.;
• Encouraging employees to get actively involved;
• Promoting an open culture when it comes to discussing health and safety issues.

The health and safety policy allows top management to contextualise health and safety in the organisation’s activities.

The policy should take account of:

• The current circumstances of the organization and what the organization wants to achieve;
• Broader business objectives;
• Opportunities for improving the health and safety of employees and others.

Top management should ensure that the responsibilities and authorities for relevant roles within the health and safety management system are assigned and communicated at all levels within the organisation.

ISO 45001 requires that the responsibilities and authority of all persons who perform duties that are part of the OH&S management system be documented. These duties could include employees carrying out health and safety audits, handling hazardous substances or managing contractors.

It is up to the organization to determine the best way of ensuring effective consultation with and participation of its employees and whether it needs to set up formal mechanisms such as health and safety committees.  While consultation is about seeking employees’ views, and considering them, participation is about joint decision-making, e.g. jointly undertaking a risk assessment and agreeing actions or being involved in deciding the organisation’s OH&S policy and objectives.

The organisation should ensure that processes for consultation and participation of workers include contractors who may be carrying out work on its behalf.

Submitted by our training partners Antaris