John Nolan
June 29, 2016
Updated 2018-11-29 according to ISO 45001
Embarking on the implementation of an OH&S (Occupational Health and Safety) management system is a very important and complex commitment for many organizations, and critical to the health and safety and well-being of its employees. Aligning the OH&S management system with the ISO 45001 standard makes great sense, but also calls for extra attention to detail and knowledge of the standard itself, as well as internal process knowledge and health and safety experience. With this in mind, it therefore stands to reason that the choice of a project manager for such an implementation will have a large bearing on the success of such a project and also the ultimate performance of the OH&S management system itself. So, what should an organization be looking for when it makes this decision?
Project management skills are obviously important for a role like this, but equally, this person needs to have a grip of good health and safety practice, amongst other attributes. So, what should we be looking for when appointing this person? Let’s examine:
It may be tempting to think that you do not have the person with all the correct attributes in your organization to complete the project manager’s role, but you have several things to consider. Firstly, an external candidate will not necessarily understand all the cultural, political, and contextual factors that will affect your project, so it may be that it is more advantageous to give an internal employee training to supplement his/her existing skills. Another option is to hire an external consultant, but it will pay to make sure that the consultant works closely with the project manager, and skills brought in are shared with your project manager and team as opposed to this becoming a one-time only implementation. Again, consider these options carefully. Choosing the best one can not only provide a smooth ISO 45001 implementation, but can give you a good foundation should you wish to implement ISO 9001, ISO 14001, or ISO 27001 in the future.
As you have seen, there are a number of considerations to make when you come to selecting your ISO 45001 project manager. Most of all, you must make the correct decision for your own organization, and both the short- and long-term health and safety of your workforce and stakeholders. Consider your current situation, and also how the OH&S management system should operate in the future. Encourage your top team to help monitor the project and receive regular reports, and react to any project creep accordingly. Select and put your trust in the correct project manager, and not only will your organizational health and safety improve quickly with a smooth ISO 45001 implementation, but your future will be safer, too.
Why not use our Gap Analysis Tool to measure your OH&S management system against the ISO 45001 standard?