Health and Safety Management Systems
What this domain tests
This domain examines whether you understand a management system as a cycle, not a folder of documents. ISO 45001 uses Plan-Do-Check-Act: context, leadership and worker participation, planning, support, operation, performance evaluation and improvement. The exam expects links between policy, legal register, objectives, operational controls, emergency arrangements, audits and management review.
Core rules
- Top management must show leadership, provide resources and integrate OSH into business processes.
- Planning covers hazard identification, legal and other requirements, risk and opportunity assessment, and measurable OSH objectives.
- Support includes competence, awareness, communication and documented information.
- Operation includes operational controls, management of change, procurement and contractors.
- Performance evaluation includes monitoring, internal audit and management review; improvement includes incident investigation, nonconformity control and corrective action.
Worked example
Two similar hand injuries occur in six months. A weak response is to retrain both workers. A system response reviews the risk assessment, checks guarding and maintenance, examines whether production pressure encouraged bypassing guards, sets an objective to close guarding gaps, assigns owners and dates, and reviews effectiveness at management review. The reasoning is that repeated incidents usually indicate a control or management-system weakness, not only individual error.
Traps
Equating certification with zero risk; treating management review as an annual paperwork exercise; writing corrective actions as “retrain workers” without fixing the condition; ignoring worker consultation; failing to manage change when a process or chemical changes.