BS 18004:2008 provides guidance for an occupational health and safety (OH&S) management system or the OH&S elements of an organization?s overall management system, to enable an organization to control its OH&S risks and improve its OH&S performance. It does not state specific OH&S performance criteria, nor does it give detailed specifications for the design of a management system.

BS 18004:2008 is applicable to any organization that wishes to:

a)establish an OH&S management system to control risks to personnel and other interested parties who could be exposed to OH&S hazards associated with its activities, facilities, processes or plant;

b) implement, maintain and continually improve an OH&S management system;

c) demonstrate commitment to good practice, including self?regulation, and continual improvement in OH&S performance;

d) assure itself of its conformity with its stated OH&S policy and with BS OHSAS 18001 by:

1) making a self-determination and self-declaration; or

2) seeking confirmation of its conformity by parties having an interest in the organization, such as customers; or

3) seeking confirmation of its self-declaration by a party external to the organization; or

4) seeking certification/registration of its OH&S management system by an external organization.

All elements in BS 18004:2008 are intended to be incorporated into any OH&S management system and to enable an organization to incorporate OH&S within its overall management system. The extent of the application will depend on such factors as the OH&S policy of the organization, the nature of its activities and the risks and complexity of its operations.

BS 18004:2008 is intended to address occupational health and safety, and is not intended to address other health and safety areas, such as worker wellbeing/wellness programmes, product safety, property damage or environmental impacts.

BS 18004:2008 is intended for use by organizations of all sizes, regardless of the nature of their activities. It is intended that its application is proportional to the circumstances and needs of the particular organization. Further guidance for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) will be provided in BS 18005, a new standard in preparation.

NOTE Annex A gives information about integrating a BS OHSAS 18001 management system within the overall business risk management system. Annex B and Annex C provide guidance on implementing, operating and promoting and effective OH&S management system. Annex D covers setting objectives and planning and implementing OH&S programmes. Annex E gives guidance on risk assessment and control and Annex F discusses operational control. Occupational health is discussed in Annex G, while Annex H provides advice on how to involve workers. Information on emergency preparedness and response is given in Annex I. Annex J discusses how to measure performance. Incident investigation is discussed in Annex K. Annex L gives guidance on the process of internal audit.



Cross References:
BS EN ISO 9000:2005
BS EN ISO 9001:2008
BS EN ISO 14001:2004
BS EN ISO 19011:2002
BS OHSAS 18001:2007
BS OHSAS 18002
PAS 99
ILO-OSH:2001
HSE HSG 65
HSE INDG 406:2005.
HSE MISC 714:2005
HSG 218:2005
HSE Managing work-related stress: A guide for managers and
teachers in schools 1998


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