OHSAS 18001 Documents: Essential Manuals, Procedures, Forms & Records

A well-functioning Occupational Health and Safety management system needs good processes, responsibilities, and proper records. The OHSAS 18001 Documents have been used by companies as the document for the setting up, implementation, monitoring, and continual improvement of their Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems. Good documentation not only clarifies the responsibilities of the workers but also gives objective proof of safety processes.

What Are OHSAS 18001 Documents?

Documentation of OHSAS 18001 refers to the manuals, policies, procedures, work instructions, forms, records, and any other documents that are required for the operation and demonstration of the OH&S management system. Documentation must be relevant to the activity of the organization, its size, complexity of operation, and occupational health and safety risks.

Instead of generating excessive documentation, organizations need to generate documentation that helps them plan, operate, control, and evaluate safety processes. Common examples of documents include OH&S policy, objectives and programs, hazard and risk information, procedures, emergency plans, audit reports, and management reviews.

Important Procedures for Implementation

Procedures translate management-system requirements into practical activities. A well-organized documentation system may include procedures for:

·         Hazard identification and risk assessment

·         Identification of legal and other requirements

·         Objectives, targets, and OH&S programmes

·         Competence, training, and awareness

·         Communication and consultation

·         Document and record control

·         Operational control

·         Emergency preparedness and response

·         Incident investigation and corrective action

·         Monitoring and measurement

·         Evaluation of compliance

·         Internal auditing

·         Management review

These areas are consistent with common OHSAS 18001 documentation structures, where procedures and records support activities such as risk assessment, training, communication, emergency response, incident investigation, internal audits, and management review.

Document Control and Accessibility

Preparation of documents is just one aspect of an efficient document management process. Companies should also manage the documents in such a way that their employees work with up-to-date and authorised documents. The areas that fall under document control include approval, reviewing, revision, availability, distribution, obsolete documents, and external documents.

Documents should also be understandable and accessible to the people who have the right to access them when they actually require those documents.

Conclusion

Carefully drafted OHSAS 18001 Documentation will facilitate companies in structuring their OH&S Management Systems through the linkage of policies, procedures, control mechanisms, forms, documentation, auditing, and improvement processes. Certification Consultancy offers professionally drafted OHSMS documentation consultancy services to help companies develop OHSMS documentation that is adaptable to their operations.