What does OHSAS 18001 primarily provide?

OHSAS 18001 primarily provides an audit specification document for Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) management systems. This standard outlines the requirements for establishing, implementing, and maintaining an effective OHS management system. Its purpose is to help organizations recognize and control their health and safety risks, reduce the potential for accidents, and ensure compliance with relevant legislation.

This standard serves as a framework that organizations can adopt to improve their safety performance systematically. By setting out specific requirements, it allows organizations to demonstrate their commitment to occupational health and safety to stakeholders. Organizations can get certified against OHSAS 18001 through a formal audit process, which verifies that they meet the standards laid out in the document.

While the framework for improving employee health and safety is a crucial aspect of OHSAS 18001, its primary role revolves around providing a structure for organizations to effectively manage and audit their health and safety practices. This enables continual improvement rather than simply offering a set of guidelines or numerical scoring for assessments.