OHSAS 18001 Implementation - ISO 14001 Integration - Worker's Comp breaks?

[Squid]

Well now on the real McCoy. I have been tasked to determine if we (our local facility, not the whole North America) would have any benfit to implementing and maintaining a OHSAS 18001 program. Other than being the right thing to do, I think they read or heard somewhere there are Worker's Comp breaks if you have a registered auditor or management rep. or even tax breaks. What are your experiences with this? Can it be used in conjunction with current ISO 14001 program? Is it a true program or a "feel good, look what we did" program? I will be attending the one day awareness and orientation symposium in Vegas middle of December to get a take on it, but I thought I would ask the experts. If all goes well, does anyone provide a course like the RAB Lead Auditor that Randy put on so well? I have dealt with a few trainers in the past but I am always looking for someone new. (Randy - BSI says it is non-accredited, that is like drinking non-alcoholic beer, right?) PLease let me know your thoughts. Thanks guys and gals

 

[Randy]

Guess what? BSI has an OHSAS 18001 course that it provides, and guess who gives it? Yep, you guessed it. I'm doing one right after the 1st of the year in Detroit.

As for 18K, it's just like 14 in format and much of the language and you can meld the 2 together real easy. You will focus on Risk and Hazards instead of Aspects and Impacts.

B/T/W, I was mentored in 18K by the gentleman that wrote a good deal of it and BS8800 that OHSAS 18001 was derived from. The gentleman is David Smith of Notingham, England.

 

[Claes Gefvenberg]

Hi Squid,

First of all: We are not registered to 18001, but we are putting a lot of effort inte H&S, have a system up and running, and feel that we fulfil more or less all the requrements.

What are your experiences with this? Can it be used in conjunction with current ISO 14001 program?

Yes, absolutley. In fact I think it should be. The two have a bunch of common denominators.

Is it a true program or a "feel good, look what we did" program?

I see it as a true program. It helps keeping people at the job instead of the emergency ward. That way, in addition to preventing grief and suffering, it also helps the Q and E efforts...

/Claes

 

[Sidney Vianna]

Well now on the real McCoy. I have been tasked to determine if we (our local facility, not the whole North America) would have any benfit to implementing and maintaining a OHSAS 18001 program. Other than being the right thing to do, I think they read or heard somewhere there are Worker's Comp breaks if you have a registered auditor or management rep. or even tax breaks. What are your experiences with this?

Squid, A well managed OH&S system should lead to reduced incidents, accidents, injuries, etc . . . so a realistic expectation is to have reduced worker compensation expenditures. And as we Californians know very well, is out of control. Arnold to the rescue Maybe you can even negotiate reduced insurance premiums due to demonstrable reduced accidents.

Can it be used in conjunction with current ISO 14001 program?

You betcha. See attached an addendum document to the OHSA 18001 document containing a table that correlates it very well to the ISO 14001:1996 document and also ISO 9001:2000.

Is it a true program or a "feel good, look what we did" program? I will be attending the one day awareness and orientation symposium in Vegas middle of December to get a take on it, but I thought I would ask the experts. If all goes well, does anyone provide a course like the RAB Lead Auditor that Randy put on so well? I have dealt with a few trainers in the past but I am always looking for someone new. (Randy - BSI says it is non-accredited, that is like drinking non-alcoholic beer, right?) PLease let me know your thoughts. Thanks guys and gals

Check out the EHS public courses in this link
http://www.dnvtraining.com/DNV/Training/SafetyPortfolio/EHSCourses/

Good luck!

 

[Squid]

Thanks for the input. Randy - BSI's course says they are non-accredited. Big Boss says, "If you are going to do it, do it right" I will certainly be in major sponge learning mode while I am in Vegas So I need to present this to them when I return and determine whether it is feasible or not. I think it is, they think it is, the customer thinks it is, so I am not sure what the hold up is. We just need more info. Randy, first of the year is bad for me. When else do you have one?

 

[SteelWoman]

Okay, it's the Friday before I go on vacation for a week, so I can be a SPOILER here on this topic and then run - you can't find me if I ain't here!

Anyway, pardon my cynicism but I do think this 14k/18k thing is getting out of hand. Do we really NEED to wrap a "system" around everything we do? A company of any real size has to comply with OSHA and other safety standards regardless - do we then need to wrap a system around that to the tune of $$$$ for certification, audits, training, etc. I noticed when we implemented 14K that it was really just putting a system around programs that were already in place.

Sure, before you BONK me for this, I do understand there are some companies that NEED this kind of systematic approach in order to get/keep a handle on these kinds of issues. But in many cases there are already statuatory/regulatory requirements in place that have you doing this stuff already. WHERE DOES IT END?!! Next there'll be ISOxxxx, a management system for Employee Benefits programs, followed by a system for managing your Hiring practices - more stuff already regulated/ required by LAW. Why should I have to pass OSHA inspections and file OSHA required paperwork and reports and ALSO get "certified" to a safety standard that says I do all that?

Grrr.... maybe I DO need a vacation!!

Happy Thanksgiving, anyway.... I'm off to relax with a beverage of my choice. Which probably costs $2.00 more than it did 10 years ago because Coors had to get certified to some **** thing or another.....

 

[Claes Gefvenberg]

Do we really NEED to wrap a "system" around everything we do? A company of any real size has to comply with OSHA and other safety standards regardless..

But in many cases there are already statuatory/regulatory requirements in place that have you doing this stuff already. WHERE DOES IT END?!!

Grrr.... maybe I DO need a vacation!!

Need a vacation? Sure you do.. Don't we all? Have a good one

Good question.

In our case we do need a H&S system. What we don't need is to get it registered. As you correctly point out we do have a lot of statuatory/regulatory requirements to keep us in line, and if we don't live up to them we will be put out of business, and apart from the red tape, we still reap benefits from keeping our employees healthy.

/Claes

 

[Squid]

I agree wholheartedly. Do we need a system and a registration? Probably not. However, with Worker's Comp prices what they are here in CA, every little bit to reduce helps. I think there could probably be a system to entangle everything as you stated within a few years, but until then...... I kind of have this image in my head of the Big 3 sitting around a table with some martini's saying to themselves, "How can we make our supplier's lives harder?" You know in this day and age conspiracy theories abound (especially with this as the anniversary of one of the biggest, JFK assasanation) I am teasing a little but.... Well after I attend the symposium I will let you know what I come away with. Thanks

 

[Claes Gefvenberg]

Well after I attend the symposium I will let you know what I come away with. Thanks

So, what do you think about it now, Squid?

/Claes

 

[Randy]

Here I sit in Toronto, my brained fried from spending 11.5 hours yesterday and another 10 hours today, looking at a bunch of hours in front of me this week instructing an OHSAS 18001 Lead Auditor course and what do I have? Someone bring 18K up here....geeesh!

Basically what we are looking at is managing another type of "Risk", and that's one of the main focii of this doc. can it help with your situation in N CA? Who can really tell? I guess any benefit derived will be proportional to committment, buy-in, perceived or real value-addedness, and all that other good stuff mixed in.

Oh yeah, I've got 24 more hours next week of Implementing & Auditing a Health & Safety Management System with an EMS-LA course immediately after.....talk about "FRIED"

Just Kidding