By combining the ISO 14001 standard for environmental management and the OHSAS 18001 standard for health and safety, it is possible to create a single management system.
This system can offer substantial advantages compared to implementing the two systems separately.
Environmental and safety management systems are the most widely adopted, aside from the ISO 9001 quality management system.
It can be a smart strategy to design, implement, manage, and maintain them simultaneously.
More and more companies are choosing to adopt integrated and effective environmental and safety management systems, especially those for which public image is crucial. Many of these organizations are also extending their requirements to their suppliers, which is why staying informed on the topic is essential.
Companies that decide to implement an environmental or safety management system often do so after having already established a quality management system.
In such cases, expanding the management scope is not particularly difficult because there is already a basic understanding of how these systems work and how they should be administered, improved, and maintained.
This means that implementing all three systems together not only saves a significant amount of money compared to implementing them one by one (as there will be reduced costs for management, documentation, and staff training), but it also allows for a deeper and more effective overall improvement of the company.
Now, let's take a closer look at the two “younger siblings” of ISO 9001.
ISO 14001 is the international standard for environmental management and is the second most implemented ISO system worldwide. The ISO 14001 standard serves as a framework to help organizations develop their environmental management systems. Just like ISO 9001, it is highly adaptable and can be applied to any organization, whether it provides products or services, operates in any industry, and regardless of its size.
OHSAS 18001 is a counterpart to ISO 14001, except that it focuses on health and safety management rather than environmental issues.
For this reason, implementing ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 together is not significantly more difficult than implementing a single standard, as many procedures and methodologies can be integrated. For example, you will only need one procedure for managing corrective actions or conducting management reviews. If the system is also integrated with ISO 9001, this approach will naturally extend to the quality management system as well.
Of course, if you decide to adopt an integrated management system, ensure that you have the necessary knowledge to correctly implement each of the three standards and integrate them effectively. Successfully achieving this requires not only systematic thinking but also logical skills to organize processes efficiently and avoid gaps or redundancies, especially at the intersection points between the different management areas.