Health & safety in construction

Setting the standard on safety

Explore how standards can help your construction organization protect its employees and be compliant with regulations

Article

Occupational health and safety management standards for the built environment

With its focus on strategic risk management, contractor management and looking after the mental, as well as physical, health of workers, BS EN ISO 45001 provides an excellent framework to support businesses operating within the built environment. With the enhanced focus on statutory and regulatory compliance and alignment to the ISO high-level structure, BS EN ISO 45001 is a perfect partner to quality, environmental and information security management system standards. Take for instance BS EN ISO 9001 Quality management systems: BS EN ISO 45001 is one way that organizations can demonstrate conformance to the personal safety aspects of clause 7.1.4 ‘Environment for the operation process’ but the relationship with BS EN ISO 9001 goes much further than that. Effective occupational health and safety is a key component of corporate responsibility. Whilst BS EN ISO 45001's strong focus on legal and other requirements supports the regulatory focus within BS EN ISO 9001, both standards also recognize the role human performance and error can have on the outcomes of the systems. Finally, the requirement in BS EN ISO 45001 to align occupational health and safety to the strategic direction of the business, driven by top management and to accelerate continual improvement, illustrates that the relationship between BS EN ISO 9001 and BS EN ISO 45001 goes well beyond a single clause. Having complementary management systems allows businesses to anticipate, adapt and respond to the risks and opportunities created by the highly competitive, innovative built environment. This provides organizations, large and small, with the resiliency and agility needed to thrive whether in global or local markets. To learn about facilities management in the built environment, click here. How can BS EN ISO 45001 benefit your organization? A poor safety record can damage your business, affect employee morale and productivity, reduce revenue and impact quality and customers. It can tarnish your business’s brand and reputation – potentially to the point where it erodes client trust for those you supply. Added to that, businesses are now looking for ways to help them think beyond safety and accident prevention. Effective health management is a core part of BS EN ISO 45001, focussing on not just physical but mental and cognitive health, too. BS EN ISO 45001 also encourages a more holistic approach, recognizing that linking with broader wellbeing initiatives can bring even greater benefits. Being an employer who cares about the well-being of their employees is something that’s considered particularly important by young professionals who have been brought up surrounded by messages of the importance of health and wellbeing and expect similar support from their employer. In a competitive sector such as the built environment, where there are recognized skills shortages, attracting the best young talent is vital, and BS EN ISO 45001 offers a framework to enhance your recruitment and retention strategy. Proactively managing occupational health and safety in this way will help you better protect your people, brand, and business performance. What is your organization missing if you don’t implement BS EN ISO 45001? By not implementing BS EN ISO 45001 your business is missing out on some important opportunities and benefits, including: Protecting the workforce including the supply chain (if you manage one) Demonstrating compliance Bidding on contracts, especially internationally Demonstrating commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Attracting and retaining talent Enhancing workplace health and wellbeing Enhancing and protecting your business’s reputation And of course, providing a safe and healthy workplace free from injury and disease For those businesses operating or trading internationally, working to BS EN ISO 45001 (the single international standard on occupational health and safety) simplifies trade across boundaries: geographic, political, economic, commercial or social. Simplification and standardization can give you that competitive edge in the market. Health and safety innovation in the built environment The adoption of new technology brings great opportunities to help drive continual improvement, a key part of BS EN ISO 45001. For example, the use of exoskeletons, to reduce musculoskeletal stress associated with heavy lifting, repetitive actions or sustained awkward postures, presents a great opportunity to reduce the social and economic burden such disorders present in the industry. Exoskeletons ‘take over’ or support muscle function, so that the muscles do not have to work as hard, reducing muscle fatigue and potential injuries. These are being trialled in a range of construction and manufacturing environments. Whilst exoskeletons are forms of personal protective equipment (PPE) and therefore are at the bottom of the ‘hierarchy of controls’ (businesses should aim to use controls from the top), it does demonstrate that strides to adopt technology can improve safety and health. Digital technology is also driving change. Information models can be used to identify, structure and share information relating to risks. This is being driven by the rapid adoption of Building Information Modelling (BIM) and with it the use of construction sequence (4D) modelling. This has significant implications for health and safety, reinforced by the development of PAS 1192-6 - the specification for collaborative sharing and use of structured health & safety information using BIM, published by BSI. Experience the benefits of occupational health and safety management by adding standard BS EN ISO 45001 to your collection today. Discover BSI Knowledge In your safety-critical industry, get everyone in your construction business involved in embedding a culture of health and safety. A BSI Knowledge subscription gives you instant access to the resources you need to improve your health and safety processes. The flexibility and visibility it provides of the best practices guidance enable you to get the most from your standards. Build your own custom collection of standards, or opt for access to our GBM07 Occupational & Personal Safety module and keep up-to-date with any relevant changes to your standards strategy. Request to learn more.