Schlagwort: Englisch

WARNING: DIN SPEC 91020 is not a safety standard!

Update 2015-12:
As with BS PAS 1010:2011, the German certification industry uses the DIN SPEC 91020 to introduce such a “standard light” to occupational health and saftey. On December 2015 the DAkkS accredits CABs who issue certificates for “health management”. Even though DIN SPEC 91020 is not a safety standard, I fear that it will misused for claims of certified enterprises to have a certified OH&S management.
 
Update 2014-10:
The PAS procedure is described here: http://www.spec.din.de/cmd?level=tpl-rubrik&menuid=81501&cmsareaid=81501&menurubricid=87633&cmsrubid=87633. But DIN changed the content of that page. Previously (2012-08-17), DIN clearly stated that requests to create a DIN SPEC for OHS would be rejected: “Eine Anfrage, die Aspekte des Arbeits-, Gesundheits-, Umwelt- und Brandschutzes enthält, wird vom DIN grundsätzlich abgelehnt.” However, DIN doesn’t mention that anymore (since mid 2013). Seemingly, the DIN wants to drive their SPEC-business ahead in the first place.
For the CWA procedure you still will find that warning.
For the PAS procedure, the Hamburg University offers the original version.
 

DIN SPEC 91020 is a helpful Publicly Available Specification (PAS) for Occupational Health Management (OHM). However, the specification does not apply to Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S).
The DIN SPEC 91020 has been initiated by B·A·D, a private company operating in the occupational health market. Later a working group had been established (2012-05):

In http://www.beuth.de/en/technical-rule/din-spec-91020/153182508, “Environmental protection, Occupational safety, Safety DIN-SPEC-91020” is misleading. A DIN SPEC is a Publicly Available Specification. This is why DIN categorically rejects applications for DIN SPECs related to work safety. (“Eine Anfrage, die Aspekte des Arbeits-, Gesundheits-, Umwelt- und Brandschutzes enthält, wird vom DIN grundsätzlich abgelehnt.”)
Also, “management requirements such as quality, OHS and environmental protection” in http://www.din.de/cmd?level=tpl-artikel&menuid=49589&cmsareaid=49589&cmsrubid=56731&menurubricid=56731&cmstextid=170285&2&languageid=en is misleading, even though that page had been published by DIN. The DIN SPEC 91020 is not “OHS”. It is “OH” only. It does not have the same rank as ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. For safety you rather want to use standards like OHSAS 18001 or ILO-OSH.
DIN claims: “DIN also saw to it that operational health management systems already on the market were taken into account in the new DIN SPEC 91020 and that all stakeholders in the field were involved in the development process.” This is quite wrong. Actually, the most important stakeholders had been ignored. Strangely, even though the standard is about the health of employees, representatives of employees were not involved in the development process.
 

DIN lite
B·A·D’s clever promotion (German and English) of the DIN SPEC 91020: http://www.bad-gmbh.de/fileadmin/user_upload/BAD InForm 03/HTML/files/assets/basic-html/page11.html

… The major difference between OSH management systems and occupational health management is that the former covers risks at the workplace but OHM is generally about preserving or promoting employees’ health. …

At the first glance, preserving or promoting employees’ health sounds well intended. That was the old approach which too often also interferes with the employees’ private life. That is why the european guidelines on work safety took a different approach. In accordance with these guidelines, standards like OHSAS 18001 aim at preserving or promoting healthy workplaces.
 
http://www.bad-gmbh.de/fileadmin/user_upload/BAD InForm 03/HTML/files/assets/basic-html/page12.html

… Why a DIN SPEC?
Dr Andrea Fluthwedel commented that one of DIN’s goals was to ensure protection targets were met, including those in the fields of consumer protection, safety and environmental protection. “We work in cooperation with a whole range of interest groups, including political representatives, businesses, NGOs, users, religious institutions, trade unionists, social accident insurance institutions and testing bodies – essentially, anyone interested in standards. So you can imagine it’s not always easy to reach a consensus,” she said.
The first DIN SPECs came on the scene in the mid-1990s, with the aim of getting innovative products to market quickly. The process can take three years, from the application until the final document. As Dr Fluthwedel explained: “A DIN SPEC isn’t a standard, it’s a specification. …

Read this carefully. This means: “The goals of regular standards are to ensure protection targets were met, including those in the fields of consumer protection, safety and environmental protection. However, in case of a DIN SPEC some of the interest groups (e.g. trade unionists) can be neglected. That is why for a DIN SPEC, DIN explicitely excludes goals in the fields of consumer protection, safety and environmental protection. Consequently, DIN SPEC 91020 is not a safety standard!”
Interestingly, of all the relevant interest groups, the workers and their representatives had been excluded from working on this specification for the safety of workers. You can imagine that this makes it much easier to reach a consensus.
 
http://www.bad-gmbh.de/fileadmin/user_upload/BAD InForm 03/HTML/files/assets/basic-html/page13.html

… There were already various documents concerning OHM – one from B·A·D GmbH, one from TÜV Nord and OHSAS [sic!] 18001 – and they all had to be taken into consideration. …

As for e.g. communication, the definition of incidents, risk management, incident investigation and management responsibility, OHSAS 18001 seems to be more advanced. The focus on workplace health is much stronger than in case of the DIN SPEC 91020. This is specially important if it comes to mental workload issues: Instead of workers seeing the shrink, the shrink looks at their workplace. Thus, OHSAS 18001 doesn’t interfere too much with the lifestyle of employees.
Of course it took more time to develop OHSAS 18001, but as the relevant interested parties had been involved, acceptance is better than for a standard driven into the market mainly by employers. As a side effect of weak consensus building, comparing OHSAS 18001 and DIN SPEC 91020 can help to understand which parts of OHSAS 18001 do not go down well with employers.
Conclusion: Use OHSAS 18001 (or ILO-OSH etc.) for OH&S management. On top of that, DIN SPEC 91020 can be a nice add on. DIN SPEC 91020 alone does not meet the requirements of safety management systems.

The cost of mind over matter

Derzeit gibt es im Internet noch nicht so viele Veröffentlichungen, die OHSAS 18001 und psychische Belastung miteinander verbinden. Aber mit https://www.google.de/search?q=mental-workload+ohsas-18001 bin ich auf http://www.nqa.com/en/intouch/news/intouch-latest/The-cost-of-mind-over-matter.asp gestoßen:

The cost of mind over matter
Although good health and safety practices are vital in keeping people safe from harm, it is often physical safety that is given priority. However, as NQA’s Jonathan Wilson explains, OHSAS 18001 can provide a framework for addressing and managing mental health issues within the workplace.
When we think of health and safety it is usually physical protection that springs to mind. While this is obviously important, so too is the psychological wellbeing of employees – and with mental health issues affecting one in four people, it should be given the attention it deserves.
…
Under pressure
Incredibly, the Cardiff University report also found that 40 per cent of employees experienced incivility or disrespect at work over a two-year period.
Although managers and supervisors are the most significant source of this, co-workers, customers and clients were found to be a more regular source of ill treatment. In fact, one in five employees has experienced the most common forms of incivility and disrespect.
Getting to grips with ill treatment requires instigating a culture of fairness and respect throughout the management structure, building this into routine processes and providing the resources and training needed to make it a success. A tried and tested way to help achieve this is through OHSAS 18001.
Preventative measures
OHSAS 18001 is the internationally recognised assessment specification for occupational health and safety management systems. It was developed by a selection of leading trade bodies, international standards and certification bodies to address a gap where no third-party certifiable international standard existed.
NQA has vast experience in helping organisations implement OHSAS 18001. The process involves establishing a management system to eliminate or minimise risk to employees and other interested parties who may be exposed to dangers associated with its activities. It can cover both physical and mental wellbeing and includes the monitoring of health and safety management failures, auditing of performance and review of policies and objectives.
…

(Hervorhebung nachträglich eingefügt)

OHSAS 18001 Potential Pitfalls

http://www.barbour-ehs.com/media/181346/barbour directors club – pam brown heineken – benefits of certification.pdf

Heineken
Achieving OHSAS 18001 Certification
Pamela Brown, Head of Safety
16th May 2012
…
OHSAS 18001 Potential Pitfalls

  • Not doing it for the “right” reason – just for “a badge on the wall”
  • Creating excessive paperwork
  • Failure to involve your certification body at an early stage
  • Not engaging your workforce
  • Assuming its going to be a quick and painless process

…

Stirb früher mit leichten seelischen Problemen

http://www.haufe.de/arbeitsschutz/gesundheit-umwelt/psychische-belastungen-koennen-das-leben-verkuerzen_94_135232.html?checkPermLogin=true

06.09.2012
Psychische Belastungen
Leichte seelische Probleme können das Leben verkürzen
Dass Depressionen körperliche Auswirkungen haben, weiß man seit Jahren. Nun belegt eine Studie: Auch kleinere Sorgen und Probleme belasten uns so stark, dass wir davon krank werden und schneller sterben. Man sollte also auch leichte Symptome von psychischem Stress ernst nehmen. …

 
Links:

Grenzen und Nutzen von OHSAS

Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series:
•  BS 18001:2007, Occupational health and safety management systems, Requirements
•  BS 18002:2008, Guidelines for the implementation of OHSAS 18001:2007
•  BS 18004:2008, Guide to achieving effective occupational health and safety performance
Siehe auch: http://www.pilz.co.uk/gb/company/news/sub/knowhow/articles/03362/index.en.jsp
 
Der folgende Absatz aus einer Veröffentlichung[1] von Maria Widerszal-Bazyl, Dorota Żołnierczyk-Zreda & Aditya Jain macht auch die Grenzen der OHSAS deutlich:
Standards Related to Psychosocial Risks at Work, (Zitate), 2009
http://www.prima-ef.org/uploads/1/1/0/2/11022736/chapter_3.pdf:

…
2.5. The Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series (OHSAS)
An international standard on general OH&S [Occupational Health & Safety] management has been developed and implemented (by the BSI [British Standards Institution]) in response to customer demand for a recognisable occupational health and safety management system standard against which their management systems can be assessed and certified, and for guidance on the implementation of such a standard. The Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series (18001, 18002 and 18004) is compatible with the ISO 9001:2008 (Quality) and ISO 14001:2004 (Environmental) management systems standards, in order to facilitate the integration of quality, environmental and occupational health and safety management systems by organisations, should they wish to do so.
The OHSAS 18001 specifies requirements for an OH&S management system to enable an organisation to develop and implement a policy and objectives which take into account legal requirements and information about OH&S risks. It is intended to apply to all types and sizes of organisations and to accommodate diverse geographical, cultural and social conditions. The success of the system depends on commitment from all levels and functions of the organisation, and especially from top management. A system of this kind enables an organisation to develop an OH&S policy, establish objectives and processes to achieve the policy commitments, take action as needed to improve its performance, and demonstrate the conformity of the system to the requirements of OHSAS 18001. The overall aim of OHSAS 18001 is to support and promote good OH&S practices, including self regulation, in balance with socio-economic needs. The OHSAS 18004 is a revision of the previous standard intended to replace it (Smith, 2008 [Smith, D. (2008). OHSAS 18004 update. BSI British standards – Occupational Health and Safety Conference, Manchester, 9-10 December 2008.]).
Although the OHSAS 18001 and its successor OHSAS 18004 and the ILO-OSH 2001 make specific reference to psychosocial hazards, they do not provide the necessary guidance to enable organisations (including SMEs [Small & Medium Enterprises]) to successfully manage psychosocial risks successfully. This makes the case for developing a standard specifically to promote psychosocial risk management at work even more compelling.
…

Arbeitgeber könnten dazu verleitet sein, zu behaupten, ein Zertifikat für OHSAS 18001 bestätige, dass die Regeln des Arbeitsschutzes eingehalten werden. Überforderte Aufsichtsbeamte, uninformierte Mitarbeiter, naïve Betriebs- und Personalräte und hudelige Journalisten könnten dazu verleitet sein, das zu glauben. Die Standards der Serien 9000, 14000 und 18000 und die Audits dazu sind ein Theater und ein Geschäft. Trotzdem kann speziell die 18000er Serie für Betriebs- und Personalräte in Deutschland ein nützliches Instrument werden, denn diese Arbeitnehmervertretungen bestimmen bei der Anwendung des Standards mit. Eigentlich liegt sogar ein besonderer Reiz darin, wenn gerade die Arbeitnehmer die von den Unternehmen begehrten Zertifikate ernst nehmen:

  • Da OHSAS 18001 für Unternehmen wohl so wichtig werden wird, wie die fast schon zu einem Muß gewordenen Zertifikate für ISO 9001 und 14001, müssen Arbeitnehmervertreter verstehen, was diese Normen nicht bestätigen.
  • Auf der anderen Seite steckt in der OHSAS oft viel mehr, als im Unternehmen tatsächlich umgesetzt wird. In den oft mit Privatnormen überladenen Diskussionen über was im Arbeitsschutz gefordert ist und was nicht, bietet die OHSAS eine externe Referenz. Das gilt besonders in zertifizierten Unternehmen, denn dort hat sich der Arbeitgeber dieses Wertesystem ja selbst ausgesucht. Das macht die OHSAS jetzt schon zu einem wichtigen Werkzeug, noch bevor sie irgendwann zu einer offiziellen EN, ISO-Norm und DIN wird. Darum müssen Arbeitnehmervertreter damit umgehen können.

 
[1] Siehe auch das komplette Buch (http://www.prima-ef.org/prima-ef-book.html) The European Framework for Psychosocial Risk Managenent von Stavroula Leka und Tom Cox: http://www.prima-ef.org/uploads/1/1/0/2/11022736/prima-ef_ebook.pdf

OHSAS 18001 Guide

http://coss.net/Docs/cosm/StrategicPlanningandProgEval/OSHAS18001NQA-HandSGuide.pdf, 2009 (Backup):

In a climate of increasing health and safety legislation and liabilities, organizations of all sizes and industry sectors are now looking at management systems as a framework for improving their health and safety performance.
…
Following the success of ISO 14001 (Environmental Management Systems) and ISO 9001 (Quality Management Systems), and in response to a demand for a recognisable OHS Management System ‘standard’ against which organizations could be assessed and certificated, OHSAS (Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series) 18001:1999 and the accompanying guide OHSAS 18002:2000 were published.
Reviewed and revised in 2007, BS OHSAS 18001 is now fully compatible with ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 in order to facilitate the integration of quality, environmental and occupational health and safety management systems by organizations, should they wish to
do so. …

Content:

OHSAS 18001
Guide to implementing a Health & Safety Management System
A Introduction 4
A1 Benefits of BS OHSAS 18001 5
A2 BS OHSAS 18001 and correspondence with other management syandards 6
A3 Similarities between the three major management system standards 7
A4 How to use this guide 9
B Terms & Definitions 10
C Principles of BS OHSAS 18001 12
C1 “A Journey of Continuous Health & Safety Improvement” 12
D OH&S Management System elements 15
D1 4.1 General requirements 16
D2 4.2 OH&S Policy 16
E What the law requires 18
E1 Hints for implementation 20
E2 Developing a H&S Policy Statement 21
F Planning 26
F1 Planning for hazard identification, risk assessment and risk control 26
F2 What the law requires 27
F3 Interpretation – how to assess the risks in your workplace 29
F4 Interpretation – risk assessment methodologies 31
F5 Identifying hazards and assessing risks 34
F6 Legal and other requirements 36
F7 Objective programme(s) 38
F8 Management programme(s) 40
F9 Example OH&S management programme 41
G Implementation and operation 43
G1 Structure and responsibility 43
G2 Competence, training and awareness 46
G3 Communication, participation and consultation 49
G4 Documentation 51
G5 Control of documents 52
G6 Operational control 54
G7 Emergency preparedness and response 56
H Checking and corrective action 59
H1 Performance measurement and monitoring 59
H2 Evaluation of compliance 62
H3 Incident investigation, nonconformity, corrective action and preventative action 63
H4 Records and record management 66
H5 Audit 67
H6 Management review 70
I Helpful sources of information 72

NQA
Warwick House, Houghton Hall Park, Houghton Regis, Dunstable, Beds. LU5 5ZX
Tel: +44 08000 522 424 | Fax: +44 (0)1582 539090
E-mail: ohsas@nqa.com | Website: www.nqa.com

Dieser Leitfaden gibt OHSAS 18001:2007 größtenteils wieder und lehnt sich dabei an OHSAS 18002:2008 an.

Overview: OHSAS 18001 and 18002

http://www.healthandsafetytips.co.uk/Downloads/Craig Lydiate/overview of oshas 18001.pdf (An Overview of OSHAS [sic!] 18001)

…
4.4.3 Consultation and communication. Organisations must have procedures for communication on OH&S issues and documented arrangements for employee involvement and consultation. There is also a list of criteria to be met by the involvement and consultation arrangements.
…

 
Siehe auch:

 
OHSAS 18002: https://www.google.de/search?q=OHSAS-18002-2008-draft (Working Draft 2, April 2008, OHSAS 18002, Occupational health and safety management systems – Guidelines for the implementation of OHSAS 18001:2007)

…
C.4 Psychosocial hazards
Situations that may lead to negative psychosocial (including psychological) conditions such as stress (including post-traumatic stress), anxiety, fatigue, depression, from e.g.:

  • excessive workload
  • lack of communication or management control
  • workplace physical environment
  • physical violence,
  • bullying or intimidation.

…