Reasons to Choose an Integrated Safety Management System

Some smaller businesses wrongly believe that integrated management systems are only useful for big organisations. They don’t imagine that they would have enough procedures and policies to warrant using one.

The truth is, all ISO management systems, including the integrated system, are ideally suited to SMEs. Designed to maximise efficiency and minimise waste, implementing one, for example an ISO Quality Management System, can bring huge benefits to any organisation.

Integrated Safety Management System

Having said that, it’s true that a small business could probably manage without in previous decades. Not now, however; with business and industry increasingly governed by legislation, steps must be taken to ensure compliance and manage the related workload.

ISO management systems are designed to be integrated. They share many common processes and goals, and there is often a crossover in the subject matter, too. For example, between environmental management and workplace safety.

ISO Quality Management System

An integrated safety management system ensures that you provide a safe workplace, comply with related legislation, minimise risk and protect yourself from compensation claims. The system sits at the center of your operation, for easier implementation, and continually checks and revises procedures for better protection.

Businesses that go down this route generally start by implementing an ISO Quality Management System. This puts down strong roots and sets the standards for the organisation. It builds a culture of quality that improves product and service quality, customer satisfaction and staff morale.

Once your ISO Quality Management System is operational you could consider integrating other ISO management systems, such as the new ISO 45001:2018 standard, which replaces AS/NZS 4801:2001 (Australian Standard) and OHSAS 18001:2007 (International Standard).

Combining this with quality management will help your brand build customer loyalty, by boosting your reputation as an ethical and socially responsible company. It will also ensure you operate within the legislation.

Why not take the first step in the New Year and discover what ISO can do for you?

Get It Right with An Integrated Safety Management System

Queensland’s peak advisory Board to the Government on work health and safety issues, the Work Health and Safety Board, has launched a five-year plan to improve work safety throughout the state.

Industrial Relations Minister Grace Grace said the plan reflected contemporary thinking on work health and safety and identified four main areas to be focused on over the next five years. These include designing healthier, safer workplaces, fostering a culture of health and safety and regulating effectively.

Integrated Safety Management System

Largely instigated by the Dreamworld and Eagle Farm tragedies in October 2016, the plan will increase pressure on businesses to ‘get it right’. And yes, that will mean more Red Tape. But there is a way of achieving all this with minimal disruption, and that’s implementing an ISO integrated safety management system.

ISO management systems across the board are recognised as the best systems in the world. These are doable management systems based on real situations. The advantage of an integrated system is a reduction in documents and duplication. It will also put workplace safety at the core of your operation.

Safety Management System Training

Integrated also means that it will use the best of your current systems and will be tailor-made to suit not only your industry, but also your goals and expectations. A key part of all this is safety management system training, to ensure everyone’s on the same page.

An integrated safety management system is suitable for any sized organisation, in any industry. Once implemented, you can apply for certification, which make you stand out against other businesses. It will also make you an employer of choice, ensuring you attract and retain the best employees.

Using the ISO mark on your packaging and marketing tells consumers that you take workplace health and safety seriously. There is proof that such accreditation will boost your business, with around 55% of consumers globally saying they will pay more for products produced and sold by socially responsible organisations.

Time To Consider An Integrated Safety Management System

For small businesses, adding a separate new management system can be a huge commitment. But, with the constantly evolving laws concerning workplace safety, they feel they have no other choice. The good news is that there is a solution and that's choosing an integrated safety management system.

ISO management systems have been designed to work well together. The experts who write these systems realised that for smaller organisations, implementation could be very time-consuming and expensive. So gradually, as the management systems are reviewed and updated, it's getting easier to integrate them.

Integrated Management Services

Some management systems integrate better than others; for example, workplace safety integrates well with environmental management and quality assurance. The best way to achieve all this is to work directly with integrated management services in Brisbane.

Who has the time to do it all themselves when you can call in experts who not only tailor-make your management plan but also help roll it out and train your employees? It's a win-win situation.

Workplace Safety is Changing

It's worth noting that the integrated safety management system is changing because workplace safety is changing. Businesses are being reminded to update to the new ISO 45001:2018 safety management system.

ISO 45001:2018 combines AS/NZS 4801:2001 (Australian Standard) and OHSAS 18001:2007 (International Standard).

Safety Management System

It's been shown that implementing an integrated safety management system helps reduce the number of work-related injuries, prevent accidents and improves productivity. Built into the system are the tools needed to comply with Legislation, Regulations and Codes of Practice.

Protect Yourself and your Employees

Remember, your turnover and your reputation depend on the health and safety of your employees. Organisations that deliver poor safety performance find that their costs rise excessively and they even face downtime. An integrated safety management system protects you and your employees by helping identify and control risks, and comply with health and safety legal requirements.

If you haven't yet made the change to an integrated safety management system, now's the time.

Be A Better Business With An Integrated Safety Management System

Whilst an integrated management system ISO might sound like a bit of a mouthful, it makes perfect business sense.

Integrating all your business systems and procedures so they run smoothly as one will, quite clearly, save both time and money.

Integrated management services specialists, such as Standard Consulting in Brisbane, help organisations of all sizes improve productivity and increase profits every day, through implementing one, manageable system.

Many different ISO systems can be integrated, the most common being ISO 9001 Quality Management, ISO 14001 Environmental Management, AS/NZS 4801 safety management, and OHSAS 18001 safety management.

Smart business

An Integrated Safety Management system is a very smart business move, that not only ensures compliance with the law, but also focuses on good practice and business improvement.All organisations must have safety procedures in place, but an integrated safety management system takes it one step further, going above and beyond if you like. This brings many positive benefits to the organisation, such as enhanced reputation among customers, better staff morale, and the attraction and retention of quality staff.

An integrated management services professional will help the organisation formulate and deliver a strategy; provide training and, if desired, seek certification.

This will give both the business owner and staff confidence that the workplace and work practices are safe and totally meeting legislation.

Identifying risk

The health and safety of employees is not something to be taken lightly. Failure to identify and rectify risks can end in disaster. Best case scenario is a fine. Worst case scenario can be loss of life and imprisonment.

Both the employer and the employee have responsibilities when it comes to workplace safety, but fault is generally with the business owner. Ensuring the right safety management is in place can positively affect things like insurance premiums.

An Integrated Safety Management system will reduce risk, improve training and communication, balance objectives, formalise systems and generally profit the organisation.