PN-N 18001

History

In 1996, the British Standards Institute developed a standard BS 8800 on the management of health and safety in the workplace. In included descriptions of preventive actions concerning work-related accidents and illnesses. Due to a high market demand, international standards OHSAS 18000 series were developed for OHP (occupational health and safety) management system. The series includes the following:

• OHSAS - 18001 - Occupational Health and Safety Management System - Specification,
• OHSAS - 18002 - Occupational Health and Safety Management System - a guide to occupational risk assessment,
• OHSAS -18004 - Occupational Health and Safety Management System - guidelines for the implementation of OHSAS.

In Poland, the following standards concerning occupational health and safety management systems have been developed:

• PN-N -18001 -Occupational Health and Safety Management System - requirements,
• PN-N -18002 - Occupational Health and Safety Management System - general guidelines to occupational risk assessment,
• PN-N - 18004 - Occupational Health and Safety Management System - implementation guidelines.

The PN-N 18001:2004 standard is the basis for OHS certification processes in the Department.

General requirements

The main objective of OHP management system is to provide a safe workplace environment which will prevent work-related accidents and illnesses. This system constitutes a part of organization's management system and involves organizational structure, planning, responsibilities and duties, codes of conduct, procedures, processes and resources for development, implementation, realization, reviews and maintenance of a specific policy concerning occupational health and safety. At the same time, it is the basic element which guarantees a defined level related to the organization's hazard control.

The basic elements of OHS system are:

1. Defining occupational health and safety policy.
2. Planning OHS management system by.
   • defining risk assessment criteria,
   • defining OHS legal requirements,
   • defining goals and creating procedures which enable to achieve these goals.
3. Implementing and running the OHS system by.
   • defining organizational structure and staff responsibilities,
   • staff trainings,
   • establishing and monitoring documentation,
   • emergency procedures in case of malfunction or work-related accidents.
4. Monitoring the system and possibility of implementation of corrective and preventive actions, as well as actions which allow to evaluate the performance of the existing system by.
   • monitoring,
   • auditing,
   • management reviews.

Goals and tasks.

The main goals and tasks of the implemented occupational health and safety management system concern:

• prevention of work-related accidents and illnesses,
• aiming at continual improvement of occupational health and safety system in the organization,
• fulfilling requirements specified in legal regulations,
• continual improvement in the area of occupational health and safety management system,
• ensuring proper resources and measures for the implementation of OHS policy,
• increasing staff's qualifications and taking into consideration their role and commitment in OHS actions.

Following the tendency to integrate management systems, international OHSAS standards and Polish PN standards have been developed in accordance with the Quality Management System and Environmental Management System.

For more information concerning the certification process in compliance with PN-N 18001:2004, please contact the program co-ordinator, Mr Paweł Brzyszko at 022 583 04 66 or 500 112 692.