Here is an update from our QHSE Advisor on our journey through ISO to reach 45001.
After a whirlwind year where change settled in as the mode of play, Proeon closed out 2020 with a feeling of accomplishment. After transitioning over from their existing certificated OHSAS 18001:2007 system to the new ISO 45001:2018 standard months of planning and hard work have been realised.
Opportunity Awaits
Preparing our Business Management System for the change was no small feat – the heightened awareness of ‘Risk Based Thinking’ suited our newly combined Integrated Management System down to the ground. Assessment of risk already considered all facets from Information Security and Business Resilience to Environmental and Health and Safety risks – it was embedded in every process area of the business. This combined with the hands-on approach the Senior Leadership took within the business, you’d think the cheery looking QHSE advisor would have been laughing all the way to the Audit? Wrong. That pesky element of Continual Improvement was rearing its annoyingly wonderful head throughout the year. Even in the midst of a pandemic! With Risks and Opportunities going hand-in-hand it was hard to settle into a period of comfort with so much opportunity the 45001 standards was bringing to our newly opened eyes.
Performance Enhancing Standards.
Whilst you’d be forgiven for thinking a 10-year-old BMS system in a doubly as old business would be considered mature – we’re not so sure? Just when can you call it? With the strong foundations of the company remaining relatively unchanged (the founding partners of the company are sitting behind me as we speak) we can’t say the same for much else. The steady wheels of motion have always been a constant drive at a steady pace – changes feeling comfortable and identified through having our finger on the pulse and reacting to the beat. So, what’s new? The basic changes we put in place way back in 2019 to meet the new requirements within 45001 have been like adding Redex to the engine – we’ve burnt off what was holding us back and we’re firing on all cylinders now. Long gone are the days of reacting to the beat – replaced instead with a proactive system identifying risks and opportunities without the need of those long drawn out Management Reviews we know we only attended for the biscuits. With risk-based thinking engrained within our employees the proactive culture we always sought has fallen nicely into our lap.
Life in the fast lane
So here we are – 45001 audit day – or should we say 10 days! We timed our transition to coincide with the re-certification and migration of our 4 standard Integrated Management System across to a new Certification Body in DNV hence a 10-day audit ensuing. Lucky for us the External Auditor from DNV was a dream – dynamic, insightful and supportive – the days flew past and before we knew it, we were in our closing meeting. So where did this year of performance enhancing standards get us? An MOT pass certificate for our Redex enhanced engine and few advisories that matched up perfectly with our own. But how did ours match so perfectly with DNV? Well we must have had a Gap Audit I hear you say? Nope – just our workforce full of risk-based thinkers with a bucket full of foresight and a little less hindsight.
The Checkered Flag
So, as we all bid a fond farewell to 2020 and the chaos it ensued, Proeon’s Integrated Management System can now proudly boast being certificated through DNV to not only the ISO 45001:2018 standard but also 9001:2015, 27001:2013 and 14001:2015. As far as a checkered flag goes – we shall see no such thing. The ever-hungry Continual Improvement Forum are always looking for those refining steps within their process areas.
