From the first draft of ISO 45001:
7.4.2 Participation, consultation and representation
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Only for a limited time it was possible to read and discuss the first draft of ISO 45001 can be read free of charge: http://drafts.bsigroup.com/Home/View/3311629?pos=3311629
From OHSAS 18001:2007:
4.4.3.2 Participation and consultation
The organization shall establish, implement and maintain a procedure(s) for
the participation of workers by their:
- appropriate involvement in hazard identification, risk assessments and determination of controls;
- appropriate involvement in incident investigation;
- involvement in the development and review of OH&S policies and objectives;
- consultation where there are any changes that effect their OH&S;
- representation on OH&S matters.
Workers shall be informed about their participation arrangements, including who is their representative(s) on OH&S matters.
In the ISO 45001 draft, for employee participation more words have been spent than in OHSAS 18001. But these words also are used to limit employee participation stronger than in OHSAS 18001.
In OHSAS 18001 at least the term “consultation” was used to describe, what “participation” could mean. In the ISO 45001 draft, “consultation” was moved to the footnote NOTE 3, which limits consultation to “an exchange of relevant information and advice as part of the decision making process”. Perhaps especially German Employers wanted to avoid, that consultation can be interpreted as “co-determination” (“Mitbestimmung”) as in case of the German version of OHSAS 18001, where “consultation” has been translated by “Absprache”.
In clause 7.4.2 (among other clauses), you find the important requirements in the footnotes: “NOTE 1 – Obstacles or barriers include lack of response to employee input or suggestions, reprisals (supervisory and peer), or any policy, practice or program that penalizes or discourages participation.”
To ISO 45001, requirements concerning the participation of employee representatives in all the various kinds of audits of OH&S management systems should be added. How about learning from the SCCM?
2015-04: No improvements in the 3nd CD.