The International Organisation for Standardization (ISO) has drafted a new international health and safety standard, aimed at reducing the impact of occupational deaths and injuries.
At a meeting in Trinidad, which was hosted by The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), the ISO published the latest draft of the new standard. Health and safety professionals from different countries, industries and cultures, were then able to discuss the proposed standard. In particular, 2,500 comments from the consultation were reviewed, clauses were examined and amendments suggested by health and safety professional from around the world.
Under the new the standard, which has been labelled ISO 45001, organisations will need to ensure health and safety will managed systematically. The ISO are trying to ensure that health and safety in the workplace is taken seriously.
It is thought the new standard, which will replace OHSAS 18001, will be finalised by October 2016.
According to David Smith, Chair of the ISO PC 283 committee, should the new health and safety standard be accepted and adopted globally, a fewer number of families would have to go through the difficulties, whether emotional or financial, caused by a loved-ones' work-related death, injury or disease.
Commenting, David Smith said: "This is a vital process. The burden of poor occupational safety and health management badly impacts the families of those harmed, as well as damaging the economy of the country. Not all countries have the same level of social protection for those affected by poor occupational safety and health management that we have in the UK."
Mr Smith continued: "So, as well as suffering the enormous distress and grief, if a breadwinner is killed at work, this also causes financial problems for the families too. With this new standard, we aim to save people from all this by preventing injuries, illness and deaths caused by failures at work."
Tony Rocheford, a safety management specialist and member of the IOSH Caribbean branch's executive committee who attended the meeting in Trinidad is firmly behind the introduction new standard. He stated: "I think that this will improve workplace health and safety in the Caribbean. It will help to add a level of professionalism to the safety industry."
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