AS/NZS 4804:2001 Occupational health and safety …

1 AS/NZS 4804:2001ccupational health and safetymanagement systems General guidelines on principles, systemsand supporting techniquesAustralian/New Zealand Standard OThis is a free 11 page sample. Access the full version 4804:2001 This Joint Australian/New Zealand Standard was prepared by Joint TechnicalCommittee SF-001, Occupation health and safety management . It was approved onbehalf of the Council of Standards Australia on 14 August 2001 and on behalf ofthe Council of Standards New Zealand on 31 August 2001. It was published on15 November following interests are represented on Committee SF-001:Accident Compensation Corporation, New ZealandAustralian Chamber of Commerce and IndustryAustralian Council of Trade UnionsAustralian Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers AssociationAustralian Industry GroupCertification Bodies (Australia)Construction Policy Steering Committee of Labour, New ZealandDepartment of Natural Resources and Mines, Supply Association of AustraliaInstitution of Engineers AustraliaThe Institute of Internal Auditors, AustraliaMaster Builders AustraliaNational Occupational health & safety CommissionNational safety Council of AustraliaThe New Zealand Chemical Industry CouncilNew Zealand Engineering Printing and Manufacturing UnionNew Zealand Employers & Manufacturers AssociationNew Zealand Institute of safety ManagementQuality Society of AustralasiaSafety Institute of AustraliaTelecommunications interestsUniversity of BallaratUniversity of New South WalesVictorian WorkCover AuthorityWorkCover New South WalesWorkSafe Western AustraliaKeeping Standards up-to-dateStandards are living documents which reflect progress in science, technology andsystems.

2 To maintain their currency, all Standards are periodically reviewed, andnew editions are published. Between editions, amendments may be may also be withdrawn. It is important that readers assure themselvesthey are using a current Standard, which should include any amendments whichmay have been published since the Standard was information about joint Australian/New Zealand Standards can be found byvisiting the Standards Australia web site at or StandardsNew Zealand web site at and looking up the relevant Standardin the on-line , both organizations publish an annual printed Catalogue with fulldetails of all current Standards. For more frequent listings or notification ofrevisions, amendments and withdrawals, Standards Australia and Standards NewZealand offer a number of update options. For information about these services,users should contact their respective national Standards also welcome suggestions for improvement in our Standards, and especiallyencourage readers to notify us immediately of any apparent inaccuracies orambiguities.

3 Please address your comments to the Chief Executive of eitherStandards Australia International or Standards New Zealand at the address shownon the back Standard was issued in draft form for comment as DR is a free 11 page sample. Access the full version 4804:2001 Australian/New Zealand Standard Occupational health and safetymanagement systems Generalguidelines on principles, systems andsupporting techniquesFirst published as AS/NZS 4804 edition Standards Australia/Standards New ZealandAll rights are reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or copied in any form or by anymeans, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, without the written permission of published by Standards Australia International Ltd, GPO Box 5420, Sydney, NSW 2001and Standards New Zealand, Private Bag 2439, Wellington 6020 ISBN 0 7337 4093 6 This is a free 11 page sample. Access the full version 4804:2001iiPrefaceThis Standard was prepared by the Joint StandardsAustralia/Standards New Zealand Committee SF-001, OccupationalHealth and safety management to supersede AS/NZS 4804 objective of this Standard is to provide guidance on (a) how such an Occupational health and safety managementsystem (OHSMS) may be set up;(b) how it can be continually improved.

4 And(c) what resources may be used to do wanting certification for an organization s OHSMS or aninternal review of their system are referred to AS/NZS 4801, Occupational health and safety management systems Specification with guidance for objective of this revision is to align this Standard closely withAS/NZS 4801:2001 by removing differences in definitions and theuse of technical terms that could confuse notably the terms hazard/risk assessment and control ofhazards/risks are used to accommodate the different terminologyused in Australia and New Zealand to describe similar elements ofthe systematic management of Occupational health and assessment refers to the process of hazardassessment in New Zealand, and risk assessment in , control of hazards/risks refers to the processes of controlof hazards in New Zealand, and control of risks in is the intention of Committee SF-001, that the next revision of thisStandard fully revise its content.

5 It is also intended that the nextrevision will take place at the same time as the revision ofAS/NZS term informative has been used in this Standard to define theapplication of the appendix to which it applies. An informative appendix is only for information and of this Standard may not necessarilymeet your OHS legal is a free 11 page sample. Access the full version 4804 12 REFERENCED DOCUMENTS .. 34 OHSMS PRINCIPLES AND Commitment and policy .. Implementation .. Measurement and Review and improvement .. 39 APPENDICESACOMPARISON BETWEEN THIS STANDARD ANDAS/NZS ISO 14004 42 BREHABILITATION .. 44 This is a free 11 page sample. Access the full version 4804:2001ivForewordThe adoption and implementation of a range of effective occupationalhealth and safety (OHS) management actions in a systematicmanner can contribute to optimal outcomes for all interested of all kinds and sizes adopt a systematic approach tomanaging OHS and develop OHS management systems (OHSMS)within the context of: The general growth of concern from all interested parties aboutOHS matters.

6 Changes to legislation. Other measures to foster sustained OHS are many reasons why organizations implement an OHSMS including legal imperatives, ethical concerns, industrial relationsconsiderations and to improve financial performance. Implementationof an effective OHSMS should, however, primarily lead to a reductionof workplace illness and injury, minimizing the costs associated withworkplace accidents. OHSMS are also used by some organizationsto demonstrate, internally and in some cases externally (via self-declaration or certification/registration as appropriate), that they aresystematically controlling the risks to all persons affected by theorganization s activities, products or organizations wishing to implement, develop, improve, or insome cases audit an OHSMS, a pair of linked and complementaryStandards is available to provide guidance. This Standard is theprimary Standard relevant to all organizations and provides generalguidance on how to implement, develop and/or improve an 4801, Occupational health and safety managementsystems Specification with guidance for use establishes an auditframework principally for use by third party bodies that have beenasked by an organization to conduct an independent audit of theorganization s OHSMS.

7 The framework can also be used as areference point for internal auditing procedures. It is envisaged thatnot all users of this primary Standard, AS/NZS 4804, will need to useAS/NZS 4801 as illustrated is a free 11 page sample. Access the full version 4804:2001vThis Standard provides general guidance on: How to set up an OHSMS. How to continually improve an OHSMS. The resources required to set up and continually improve guidelines in this Standard describe a systematic managementapproach that can assist in both meeting legal requirements andlead to sustained improvement in OHS performance. Theseguidelines can assist organizations establish their own OHSMS andthey also apply to any existing OHSMS. The guidelines do notprescribe the type or format or style of OHSMS that should beused. Rather, this Standard contains guidance for organizations ofany size or type seeking to develop and implement an OHSMS, orimprove an existing system , so that it will be appropriate for that organization; be integrated with other systems and core functions of theorganization; improve the organization s overall performance; and assist the organization to meet its legal management is an important element of any system but hasbeen referred to only peripherally in AS/NZS 4804.

8 The reader isreferred elsewhere, to their respective jurisdictional authorities forguidance in Australia, to National Occupational health andSafety Commission s Guidance note for the best practicerehabilitation management of Occupational injuries and disease,NOHSC:3021 (1995); similarly, in New Zealand, Active andWorking! Managing Acute Low Back Pain in the Workplace: A guidefor employers published by the National Advisory Committee onHealth and Disability, and the Accident Compensation Corporation,April 4801 is a specification Standard that establishes aframework primarily for enabling independent external audits andreviews of an organization s OHSMS, but it can also be used as aframework for internal audits. Many organizations alreadyundertake internal audits or reviews to assess the effectiveness oftheir OHSMS. Some organizations may also seek independent thirdparty assurances that an organization they are proposing to dobusiness with has effective systems in place to control their be effective, and to contribute to ongoing improvements in OHSperformance, independent audits need to be conducted bycompetent persons within a structured management system andintegrated with overall management activity.

9 AS/NZS 4801 specifiesthe framework against which external auditors will assess anOHSMS. However, these audits and reviews would not be sufficientto provide an organization with the assurance that its performancenot only meets, but will continue to meet, its ethical, legal andpolicy is a free 11 page sample. Access the full version 4804:2001viThese linked Standards have been written to be applicable to alltypes and sizes of organizations and to be generic enough toaccommodate diverse geographical, cultural and social conditions,as well as the multiplicity of OHS legal jurisdictions. Thus twoorganizations carrying out similar activities but having differentOHSMS and performances may both conform to the requirementsestablished in AS/NZS 4801. However, any effective OHSMS needsto reflect OHS issues in the organization in which it is used. Thebasis of the approach is shown in Figure 1 OHS management system ModelThe success of an OHSMS depends on commitment from all levelsand functions within an organization, especially from seniormanagement.

10 An effective OHSMS can assist an organization to set out OHS policy and objectives; establish, assess and review the effectiveness of procedureswhich give effect to OHS policy and objectives; achieve conformance with OHS policy and objectives of theorganization; and demonstrate such conformance to others (via self-declarationor certification/ registration as appropriate).This is a free 11 page sample. Access the full version 4804:2001viiThe overall aim of these linked Standards is to support theachievement of the highest levels of OHS performance throughsystematic elimination or reduction of risks. Both AS/NZS 4801 andthis Standard are intended to provide organizations with theelements of an effective OHSMS which can be integrated with othermanagement requirements, to assist organizations to achieve OHSas well as other social and economic goals. These Standards arenot intended to be used to create trade barriers nor change anorganization s legal obligations.